The Kamloops Circus: Why Ego is Eating Leadership for Breakfast (and How to Fix It)

AI-generated image of Kamloops Council in chaos (no real council members were harmed)

If you’ve been keeping an eye on our local news lately, you might think you’re watching a very bad daytime soap opera rather than the actual governance of our beautiful city.

Between mayors missing meetings, shifting stories about who gave notice to whom, and public explanations that require a GPS and a team of detectives to navigate, the Kamloops City Council is giving us a prime example of how NOT to lead

Let’s strip away the political spin. What we are witnessing right now at City Hall isn’t public service. It’s a classic, textbook power struggle. It’s a room full of massive egos colliding, and truly, it’s exhausting. It appears less like a city council and more like an elementary school playground where everyone is fighting over who gets to go on the swing set

And let’s call a spade a spade here: there is an election on the horizon (full disclosure, if it isn't obvious, I am running for council in that election). When a challenger is eyeing the mayor's chair, suddenly every single council meeting stops being about municipal policy and becomes a live audition. Each missed meeting becomes an opportunity to score points, and every administrative mix-up over "who sent what text message" gets weaponized into a headline.

As someone who spent years as a technology CEO and now coaches executives on how to actually build top-performing teams, I can tell you a universal truth: True leadership requires leaving your ego at the front door.

When you're elected, your job isn't to win the daily argument or posture for the upcoming ballot. Your job is to serve. But somewhere along the line, it seems our local leadership forgot that the doors of City Hall face outward toward the community, not inward toward their own grievances.

Here is what real leadership actually looks like—and what our local politicians could learn if they paused the bickering for five minutes:

1. Transparency is Not Optional

When a council meeting happens, and the post-game narrative turns into a "he said, she said" game about who gave notice and who is telling the truth, trust evaporates. True leaders don't play hide-and-seek with the facts. If you muddy the waters or bend the truth to protect your own skin or boost your campaign profile, you aren't leading; you're just handling a PR crisis of your own making. Let's try radical honesty for a change. It’s much easier to remember the truth than it is to keep track of a dozen different versions of it.

2. Own Your Screw-Ups (Without the Asterisk)

We are all human. We all mess up. But true accountability isn't simply saying "I'm sorry" because you got caught or because the public pressure got too high. It’s about owning the mistake entirely, without the defensive "but..." attached to the end of it. Admitting a mistake isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s the ultimate indication of strength. It shows voters that you value progress more than your parking spot at City Hall.

3. Check the Ego at the Council Chamber doors

A power struggle occurs only when people care more about who is right than about what is right. When ego takes the steering wheel, collaboration dies. You stop listening to find solutions, and you start listening to find ammunition. If you can't sit in a room with people you disagree with and focus on the mission—which, lest anyone forget, is running the city of Kamloops—then you are standing in the way of progress.

The Bottom Line

I love this city. Kamloops deserves a council that inspires confidence, not one that generates punchlines.

We don't need career politicians who are experts at finding fault and positioning themselves for the next vote; we need leaders who are willing to roll up their sleeves and do the heavy lifting for the people who actually live here. People don't follow titles or political theatre; they follow character, authenticity, and common sense.

It’s time to put down the boxing gloves, unlock the boardroom doors, and remember why we asked for the job in the first place. Let’s put the ego away.

I promise that no one will miss it.

Let’s Lead with Intent.

What do you think is the biggest challenge facing Kamloops right now? Leave your thoughts below—let’s talk about how we move our city forward together.