Almost four years ago, when I was considering a run in Woodstock’s 2022 municipal election, I sat down for a conversation with Marcus Ryan.
At the time, Marcus was serving as Mayor of Zorra Township and as a councillor for Oxford County and we had worked together on rural economic issues. I wanted an honest discussion about whether my experience and skill set could actually be useful to Woodstock, and to the county more broadly.
We covered everything you’d expect: spheres of jurisdiction, budget season, the real time demands council places on your life, and the parts of the job that never make it into campaign brochures. It was practical, candid, and grounding.
But one moment from that conversation has stayed with me more than any procedural detail.
Marcus shared an analogy about leadership. It was simple, a little disarming, and uncomfortably accurate. It reframed how I think about power, responsibility, and why some leaders steady a community while others unsettle it.
At our core, Marcus reminded me, we all have an ape brain.
In the jungle, apes don’t run campaigns.
They don’t print signs, argue on social media, or announce their intentions months in advance. Apes want three things: food, safety, and the ability to raise their young without constant threat. Leadership emerges only when someone consistently helps the group survive.
It turns out that’s not so different from municipal politics.
If you’re thinking about running for council or mayor this election year, it’s worth asking a question apes never have to ask out loud:
Should I actually be the one leading?
Leadership Isn’t Declared. It’s Observed.
Among apes, leaders aren’t chosen. They emerge because others already follow them. The moment that following stops, leadership disappears.Municipal politics gives us titles, ceremonies, and chains of office, but none of that guarantees real leadership. A mayor only becomes a leader when people trust their judgment enough to align their behaviour with it.
Ask yourself honestly:
- Are people already coming to you with problems?
- Do others defer to your judgment in difficult situations?
- Have you earned trust without needing authority?
If the answer is no, an election campaign won’t manufacture it.
Strength Without Restraint Creates Instability
In ape societies, brute force can seize control, but it rarely holds it. Leaders who rely on aggression face constant challenges, fractured groups, and eventual replacement.
Municipal versions of this leader are easy to spot. They dominate meetings, posture publicly, and mistake volume for authority. The result isn’t strength, it’s dysfunction.
Strong municipal leaders don’t overpower councils.
They lower the temperature.
Social Intelligence Beats Charisma Every Time
Ape leaders who last are socially intelligent. They build alliances, manage conflict, and understand when to intervene, and just as importantly, when not to.
For mayors and councillors, this looks like:
- Building trust before crises arrive
- Respecting staff expertise
- Listening more than speaking
- Knowing when consensus matters more than credit
Municipal leadership is less about commanding and more about coordinating. The people who govern best are rarely the loudest in the room.
Stability Is the Real Job
Apes follow leaders who keep them safe from predators and from each other.
Municipal residents expect the same, just translated:
- Financial stability
- Infrastructure that works
- Decisions that don’t create chaos, lawsuits, or reputational damage
A mayor doesn’t need to fix everything. But they must reduce risk. When residents feel constantly surprised, embarrassed, or exposed, confidence evaporates quickly.
Leadership Is Reassessed Daily
In the wild, leadership is evaluated every single day. If the leader stops delivering protection or stability, followers drift toward someone else.
Municipal leadership works the same way, just more slowly and more publicly.
When council stops trusting recommendations.
When staff work around leadership instead of with it.
When residents expect dysfunction as normal.
Leadership will have already slipped, long before election day.
Before You Run, Ask Yourself the Hard Questions
Apes don’t aspire to leadership. They step into it because the group already depends on them.
Before you run for council, ask yourself:
- Am I prepared to absorb blame for things I didn’t personally cause?
- Can I stay calm under unfair public criticism?
- Will my presence reduce conflict, or escalate it?
- Am I decisive or hesitant?
- Can I work with people who didn’t support me?
- Will public opinion weaken my decision making?
- Am I seeking responsibility, or recognition?
These aren’t disqualifiers. They’re reality checks.
Social Intelligence Beats Charisma Every Time
No ape leader survives alone. Even dominant ones rely on cohesion.
Municipal politics is no different. If you can’t collaborate without controlling, compromise without resenting, or listen without defensiveness, leadership will be brief and exhausting for everyone.
Progress in municipal government is slow by design. That’s not failure. It’s protection.
Final Thoughts
2026 is an election year. Over the coming months, candidates and voters will talk about platforms and promises, but at a gut level, we are all asking the same question apes do:
Is life stable now? Will life feel more stable with this person in charge?
Not louder.
Not flashier.
Not more entertaining.
More stable.
If your honest answer is yes, you may be ready to run.
And if it isn’t? There are many ways to lead without a municipal title. Often, that’s where real leadership starts, long before anyone puts their name on a ballot.