Tuesday Feb 17, 2026
#43 - To A Better Place with Bobby Quinten
Bobby Quinten, PCC, Founder of To A Better Place Executive Coaching, joins James Groom, Retired Chief of Police and Host of The Clear Voice, for a powerful conversation on executive coaching, emotional intelligence, work life balance, culture transformation, and sustainable leadership in both public and private sector organizations.
With decades of experience in leadership development, nonprofit governance, and municipal advisory service, Bobby helps executives strengthen communication, performance, and organizational culture through strengths based leadership and intentional growth strategies.
Executive Coaching vs Training vs Mentoring
Executive coaching is not training and it is not mentoring. Bobby explains how coaching creates structured space for leaders to think differently, identify blind spots, and build intentional action plans. The most effective coaching sessions are client centered and solution driven, often leading to powerful “aha” moments that shift perspective and unlock momentum.
Emotional Intelligence in Leadership
Emotional intelligence is a foundational leadership competency. Leaders who fail to regulate emotions erode trust and credibility. This episode explores emotional regulation, active listening, vulnerability, and why mastering your emotional responses is critical for long term executive success.
Work Life Balance and Burnout
Burnout is common among high performers, especially city managers, department heads, and executive leaders. Bobby discusses how unmanaged ambition can shorten careers and why sustainable leadership requires intentional pacing, healthy modeling, and proactive stress management.
Building Organizational Trust
Trust cannot be established through policy or slogans. It is built through credibility, consistency, accountability, and human connection. Leaders who admit mistakes, listen actively, and respond with compassion create cultures that retain high performers and reduce burnout.
Culture Change in Government and Business
Culture transformation requires participation at every level, especially frontline supervisors and informal influencers. Leaders must assess the current state honestly, define a clear future vision, and involve ambassadors who will carry the culture forward beyond any single leader’s tenure.
Strengths Based Leadership
Rather than focusing primarily on weaknesses, high performing leaders identify and lean into their natural talents. Bobby discusses the impact of Clifton Strengths and how leveraging strengths increases engagement, motivation, and long term performance.
Volunteer Leadership and Community Perspective
Drawing from his experience in Kiwanis International and municipal advisory work, Bobby shares how community service broadens executive perspective. Leaders who step outside their organizational bubble gain insight that strengthens decision making and deepens community impact.
Key Takeaways
• Emotional intelligence drives leadership credibility
• Active listening strengthens trust and team cohesion
• Culture change requires involvement, not announcements
• Leaders are often harder on themselves than others are
Connect with Bobby Quinten
Bobby Quinten, PCC
Founder, To A Better Place Executive Coaching
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyquinten
Email - bobby@toabetterplace.net
Gallup Certified Strengths Coach
MHS Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach
2025 to 2026 Immediate Past Governor, Texas Oklahoma District of Kiwanis International
Bobby is offering a complimentary 15 to 20 minute consultation for leaders interested in exploring executive coaching.
00:00 Introduction to Leadership Coaching
03:25 Bobby Quinten's Journey to Coaching
06:00 The Importance of Emotional Intelligence
09:30 Learning from Bad Leaders
11:44 Work-Life Balance and Burnout
15:07 Leading Work-Life Balance in Teams
17:33 Building Trust Through Human Leadership
20:21 The Power of Admitting Mistakes
23:39 Culture Change in Organizations
26:02 The Role of Frontline Supervisors in Culture
29:07 CEO vs. City Manager Leadership Complexity
31:53 The Value of Kiwanis and Community Service
35:39 Leading Volunteers vs. Paid Employees
37:56 What Truly Motivates People
38:55 What Executive Coaching Really Is
41:20 The Aha Moment in Coaching
42:40 Strengths-Based Leadership
44:05 Common Leadership Blind Spots
45:54 How to Connect with Bobby
Connect With Clear Career Professionals
Clear Career Professionals is a Texas based municipal executive search firm specializing in City Manager search services, municipal executive search, and local government leadership consulting for cities and counties across Texas and the United States.
Clear works with communities to recruit City Managers, City Administrators, Assistant City Managers, Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs, Finance Directors, HR Directors, and other senior municipal leaders.
In addition to executive search services, Clear provides local government leadership training, organizational assessments, executive coaching, interim leadership placements, and strategic consulting designed to strengthen city organizations and support effective public service leadership.
Clear partners with city councils, county commissioners, and public sector leadership teams seeking experienced municipal professionals who can guide growing communities, manage complex organizations, and deliver strong public service outcomes.
Career Opportunities
https://clearcareerpro.com/career-opportunities
The Clear Voice is a local government leadership podcast produced by Clear Career Professionals. Each episode explores the real world demands of leadership in cities, counties, and public agencies where growth is accelerating, expectations are rising, and the margin for error is small.
We sit down with city managers, police chiefs, fire executives, municipal department heads, consultants, and public sector innovators who have led through crisis, managed rapid development, rebuilt organizational culture, and made high stakes decisions in the public eye. These are honest conversations about public service leadership, not surface level talking points.
You will hear about difficult council meetings, community conflict, organizational change, staffing challenges, and the pressure of leading teams that serve entire communities. You will also hear what works, how trust is built, how culture is shaped, and how strong municipal organizations are developed to outlast any one leader.
This podcast is built for current and future local government leaders. Whether you are pursuing a city manager role, advancing in public safety leadership, preparing for executive responsibility, or looking to grow your impact in municipal government, The Clear Voice delivers practical leadership insight grounded in real experience.
If you care about ethical leadership, organizational development, public sector careers, and the responsibility that comes with community trust, this podcast is for you.
Leadership in government is more than a job. It is a commitment to people, place, and long term stewardship. The Clear Voice helps you lead with clarity.
Learn more about career opportunities in local government:
https://clearcareerpro.com/career-opportunities/
About Clear Career Professionals:
https://clearcareerpro.com/
Connect with Clear Career Professionals on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/clear-career-pro
Subscribe and join a growing community of municipal leaders, public safety executives, and public sector professionals focused on strong leadership and stronger communities.
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