Leadership lessons from the mayors of major global cities

"“The more [that] national governments retreat from the world stage, the more important mayors become,” Bloomberg said last month at the Bloomberg CityLab 2026 summit, hosted by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Aspen Institute. “Mayors have to move quickly and adapt to big change.”"

"“Mayors, perhaps more than any other civic leaders, are expected to advance strategic, multiyear infrastructure and policy initiatives while at the same time being attentive to the hyperlocal needs of individual residents,” says Daniel Ramot, CEO of Via Transportation, a tech company that serves public transit systems."

"Adds Ramot, whom I interviewed onstage at Bloomberg CityLab: “I have always been impressed by how the very best mayors are able to manage this tension. It requires genuine empathy and attention to detail, combined with the ability to look beyond the status quo, dream big, and perhaps most importantly, ground those dreams in a reality informed, first and foremost,”"

Federal agencies face budget cuts, and many problem areas that businesses cannot or will not address are increasingly handled by city leaders. Affordable housing, mass transit, public education, and environmental sustainability and climate change are among the growing responsibilities. Mayors are expected to respond quickly to major change and adapt as national governments step back. Mayors must advance strategic, multiyear infrastructure and policy initiatives while also addressing the immediate, hyperlocal needs of residents. Effective mayors manage this tension through empathy and attention to detail, while also looking beyond the status quo, dreaming big, and grounding goals in practical reality informed by first-hand understanding.

Read at Fast Company