William Gilmore Returns with a New Guide for Leaders Who Want to Do the Right Thing and Make it Last
[Orlando, Florida] – [11/12/2025] – After years on the front lines of city government, veteran leader and consultant William Gilmore is sharing his hard-earned wisdom in a powerful new book, Competent Leaders Know How to Succeed. This is his second book on leadership, and it arrives as a timely blueprint for anyone in public service who wants to lead with both strategy and integrity.
Gilmore gets straight to the point: true leadership isn’t about being the most charismatic person in the room. It’s about something more durable. Drawing on his decades of experience, he makes a compelling case that real, lasting impact comes from a foundation of careful planning, unwavering ethics, and the moral courage to see things through.
The book feels like a conversation with a trusted mentor. Gilmore blends personal stories from his time navigating political challenges and bureaucratic hurdles with practical, step-by-step frameworks. He shows how to build a personal plan, how to work with resistant boards, and why treating every budget as a moral document is key to rebuilding public trust.
“Complacency is the silent killer of leadership,” Gilmore observes. He reminds us that, “Competence is not about control, it’s about courage, planning, and the integrity to face uncomfortable truths.”
Structured as part memoir and part manual, Competent Leaders Know How to Succeed is for the doers and the reformers. It’s for the city manager, the non-profit executive, the board member, or the emerging leader who knows that lasting change doesn’t happen by accident. It’s for those who believe that planning and principle must guide every decision.
Competent Leaders Know How to Succeed will be available soon in print and digital formats through Parker Publishers.
About the Author
Throughout his career, William Gilmore has navigated the complex channels of public service, from leading municipal governments to consulting on organizational reform. His mission is to champion ethical governance and strategic planning, inspiring a new generation to lead with purpose, courage, and integrity.
