Mayor David Holt of Oklahoma City on Leadership in Divided Times

What does it look like when a politician actually does their job? Not the culture warring. Not cable news. Not pitting you against your neighbor to score political points. But the actual work of public service: showing up every day for all the people you serve, bridging divides instead of deepening them, and measuring success by outcomes, not optics. Almost sounds quaint, doesn't it? We're living through a moment when the question of what real civic leadership is feels harder to answer than it should. So we're going to Oklahoma City to find out. On this episode of BETTER GOOD, Scott M. Curran (https://www.scottmcurran.com/) is joined by Mayor David Holt of Oklahoma City (https://www.okc.gov/Government/Elected-Officials/Mayor)—who is also the 83rd President of the United States Conference of Mayors—for a refreshing conversation about public service, civic leadership, and bridging political divides in one of America's most dynamic cities. David traces his path from a service-oriented Oklahoma family to working in Washington, D.C., and back home to lead what he calls a purple city in a deep red state. He breaks down how Oklahoma City went from economic depression and post-bombing devastation to becoming America's 20th largest city—a story built on pragmatic, nonpartisan leadership and a civic model that keeps winning voter approval by margins most politicians can only dream of. He explains why the 70% of Americans in the middle can still find common ground and get things done when the system lets them, and why mayors may be the most important class of leaders in the country right now. This episode explores themes of bridging divides, nonpartisan governance, civic investment, community building, pluralism, and what it means to lead by the power of your example rather than the example of your power. Guest: Mayor David Holt Host: Scott M. Curran Executive Producers: Aaron Shulman & Kieron Banerji Production by Echo Studios -  Check out our Podcast: https://www.linktr.ee/scottmcurran - Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:26 Early Memories of Doing Good 00:08:40 From Capitol Hill to the White House 00:13:25 Returning Home and Finding Purpose in City Hall 00:23:18 The Oklahoma City Turnaround Story 00:26:53 Building Consensus Through Pragmatic Leadership 00:28:37 The Power of Non-Partisan Elections 00:33:23 Leading a Purple City in a Red State 00:37:48 The Role of Mayors in National Politics 00:50:00 The Oklahoma City Bombing and Lessons on Unity 00:54:23 The Oklahoma City Declaration -  Better Good is a podcast series where you’ll meet the visionaries and doers tackling the toughest challenges of our time. With moving stories and practical takeaways, Scott M. Curran brings listeners into the art and science of doing good—through conversations with the social-impact leaders reshaping how we change the world. Whether you lead a global workforce, run a fast-growing nonprofit, or are simply driven to make a difference, this show offers the ideas, inspiration, and tools to leave the world better than you found it. The world's biggest problems won’t wait. Neither should you.