Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Sheila Shockey, Founder, CEO, Futurist, Shock Talk Podcast Host at Shockey Consulting and artist/gallery owner 80 Santa Fe in Downtown Overland Park, Kan. Follow Sheila on LinkedIn and Instagram, and Shockey Consulting.
- What I’m watching for: The Five Economic Indicators of Coming Doom: 1. Inverted Yield Curve; 2. Rapid Decline in Consumer Confidence; 3. Spiking Unemployment Rates; 4. Credit Market Freezes or Crashes; 5. Rapid Inflation or Deflation
- What I’m listening to: ’90s gangster rap and yacht rock
- What I’m working on: Training materials about how to talk with your MAGA friends and family.
Who is “the Government?”
When people talk about “the government,” who do they think they are talking about? The government is NOT some shadowy, faceless monolith. That tired narrative? Drives me nuts! After three decades working with local governments, I always tell people the uncomfortable truth: We are the government: the people talking about the government and the people working in the government. The government is us!
That’s right. It’s our teachers grinding through impossible days, transit drivers navigating chaos on wheels, planners re-imagining our cities while NIMBYs throw stones, and the city manager sprinting from budget nightmares to neighborhood showdowns. It’s also the social workers, the healthcare providers, the environmental scientists, and the countless other roles that make up the fabric of our government. It’s every single person who drags themselves out of bed, shows up, and tackles the messy, thankless problems keeping our communities from falling apart.
Here’s the raw deal: Public servants remain invisible until something explodes. Then the criticism comes at them like a freight train. That’s why Michael Lewis’ book, “Who Is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service” hit me like a punch to the gut — in the best possible way. It’s a soul-stirring collection that spotlights the unsung heroes of federal government (currently unnecessarily under fire) — people embodying the values ELGL champions: joy, equity, creativity, connection, and dependability.
My favorite essay is written by W. Kamau Bell, the Peabody and Emmy-winning comedian. In “The Rookie,” Bell profiles Olivia Rynberg-Going, a young paralegal in the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. She’s brilliant, idealistic, and relentlessly committed. Bell writes something we should tattoo on our collective consciousness: “We need young people excited about the possibilities of making the government work better for everyone. But we also need to ensure that there is a path for them to get into government and stay in government. We don’t need that for their sake. We need it for the rest of us.”
Let that sink in… We need young people in government, not just for their sake but for ours! Your role in government is not just important, it’s crucial for the future of our communities and our country.
I’m a small-town kid whose mom taught in public schools and whose brother serves at the Veterans Administration. I’ve always known the government isn’t an alien entity. It’s personal, communal, and vital. And now, more than ever, we desperately need bright, creative, committed souls who see government as a place where they can build something meaningful and make a tangible difference. The work we do in government isn’t just a job, it’s a mission to improve the lives of our fellow citizens.
Today’s federal employment uncertainty is poison for recruitment and retention. Layoffs, slashed budgets, political chaos — these realities devastate our ability to attract Bell’s “rookies.” The brutal truth? Our communities are starving for bold, equity-driven, problem-solving leaders. They need stable pathways into public service — mentorships, internships, fellowships, and supportive cultures that celebrate innovation instead of suffocating it.
We can’t build tomorrow without investing in the people who will shape it. That means creating space for joy and authenticity in workplaces that too often crush both. It means amplifying new voices and inviting diverse perspectives to the table, not just as tokens, but as architects. It means genuine connection. It means transforming the public sector into a career path people choose with fire in their bellies, not apologetic shrugs. This investment in future leaders will bring about positive change and innovation in government.
That’s why ELGL isn’t just another professional network. It’s a value-driven revolution that dares to declare: Public service can light you up! Government work can unleash creativity. Equity isn’t optional. ELGL is a community that supports and celebrates these values; we’re infinitely more potent together than alone.
So here’s my challenge, thrown down like a gauntlet: Let’s shatter the dusty narratives about who “the government” is. Let’s make it viscerally personal again. Like Olivia’s, let’s tell stories that punch you in the heart and build systems where these stories multiply rather than wither. Let’s show the next generation that government isn’t a punchline or a bureaucratic labyrinth, it’s where you go when you’re serious about rolling up your sleeves and making real change happen.
Because we, the people reading this right now, are the government. (And so are the critics.) And the world doesn’t just need us. It’s desperate for our best, most audacious selves. So, you be you — the best version of yourself, not just for your sake but for the sake of all of us.