Jibola Abitoye

“You won the seat. Now comes the hard part.”

We spend months preparing people to win elections.

Campaign strategies. Fundraising. Door knocking. Debates. Speeches. Promises.

But what happens the morning after the victory?

For many newly elected municipal officials, there is an orientation to introduce them to governance, legislation, policies, budgets and their responsibilities.

And then the real work begins.

Suddenly, you are expected to navigate complex relationships, understand competing priorities, make decisions that affect thousands of people and manage public expectations.

Sometimes with incomplete information and no perfect options.

And here’s something we don’t talk about enough:

Being elected gives you authority. It doesn’t automatically give you the skills to lead.

Those skills must be developed, refined and strengthened through experience, mentorship and continuous learning.

Over my eight years in municipal government, I came to appreciate that effective public leadership requires much more than good intentions.

It requires sound judgment, diplomacy, emotional intelligence, accountability and the ability to build trust, especially when decisions are difficult or unpopular.

These are some of the conversations Ayotunde Owodunni and I explore in our upcoming book, “The Public Sector Leader’s Playbook: Decision-Making, Diplomacy & Citizen Trust.:

Because public leadership is too important to leave preparation to chance.

Here’s a question worth asking: Are we doing enough to prepare elected officials for the realities of governing, beyond the initial orientation?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Launching October 30, 2026.