This essay argues that local public officials need greater awareness of the difference between appropriate private conduct and appropriate public conduct, with implications for ethics in public office and public perceptions of leaders and government. Contrasting private manners with public officials’ obligations in dealing with conflict and with critics, a case is made for adopting different standards for public service. Local public officials, to be effective, must approach their public roles with an appreciation of how different those roles are from their roles in private life.
