Leading the Flow: Part 3
Guiding the flow so it continues long after you’ve passed the valve.
Once you understand the past and assess the present, the question becomes: where are we going?
Leadership in utilities — and in any public service — is a long game. It’s not about your tenure; it’s about continuity. When vision meets practicality, things move with purpose.
Think of your leadership like directing flow through a system. You’re not creating the water — it’s already there, moving, pressurized, alive. Your job is to shape its path, reduce resistance, and make sure it reaches those who depend on it.
Leadership isn’t about creating the flow — it’s about guiding it so it continues long after you’ve passed the valve.
That’s why every leader should ask: What am I building that will outlast me? The best leaders don’t just maintain — they set the next person up for success. They document. They mentor. They leave the map clearer than they found it.
In the end, leadership is flow — constant, connective, and forward-moving. When it’s guided with vision and stewardship, what’s underground becomes the strongest thing holding everything else up.
Leading the Flow: Leadership Lessons from The District Underground
By Johnny O’Connor, Executive Director
Stewarding Big Sky’s Water for Generations