The Mayor's Leadership Role
From Mayor's Handbook
MRSC Report No. 44
February 1999
The mayor occupies the highest elective office in the municipal government, and as the political head of the city is expected to provide the leadership necessary to keep it moving in the proper direction. Effective mayors see themselves not only as leaders staking out policy positions but also as facilitators of effective teamwork.
As a mayor, you have a special set of long-term responsibilities, not shared by many others. You are supposed to be a community leader as well as a political leader. Yet most of the trials and tribulations you will face during your term of office will deal with city housekeeping kinds of activities. These day-to-day activities seem to be of most immediate concern to most citizens, and sometimes solving the little problems are the most fun.
But you need to find time to deal with the important policy issues and some of the long-term future concerns. Try to make your city a better place to live tomorrow, not just today.
If you can leave something of long-term consequence to your community, you will at least have the satisfaction of a job well done, and that is the principal reward of public service.
Setting Goals
The role of the city council in any size of city is becoming more demanding and complex. In order to get anything accomplished, elected officials must work together to define and agree upon mutual goals. This is one of the most challenging aspects of being a mayor and working with a city council.
Goal setting provides a framework for city action. By setting short term and longer term goals, and then deciding which are most important, you and the council can define what your city government will try to achieve. Staff then have clear guidelines regarding what you and the council want to accomplish, and you have a way of evaluating your programs and services.
Establishing goals will help you keep on track and not get distracted by the brush fires.
Some cities plan goals through council retreats. Some may use outside facilitators to assist with this process.
A Simple Goal Setting Process
The basic idea is to start with the big picture and work through to ensure that the day-to-day-things you do relate back to that big picture. Periodically, you'll want to look back at your goals and evaluate what you've accomplished, and decide what changes you want to make, if any.
Step 1. Identifying issues and needs
Before you can set goals, you have to come to some agreement on what needs to be done. As a group, come up with an overall list of issues and needs, including council members' ideas as well as citizen concerns. Narrow down that list to a workable number of problems and needs to be addressed.
Step 2. Setting goals
Once you've developed a focused list of needs or problems, describe what you hope to do to eliminate each problem or meet each need. The goals you express may be both community goals and goals for your particular governing body to accomplish.
Step 3. Setting objectives
Objectives are the specific short-term strategies to meet your goals. They are statements of accomplishments to be reached within a specific time. By setting objectives, the council can focus on a series of realistic targets and then determine the resources needed to accomplish them.
Step 4. Setting priorities
Setting priories is the most important step in the goal-setting process. Comprehensive goal setting results in more objectives to accomplish than is possible in the time available, so you've got to set priorities. Decide what areas need attention now and which ones can be delayed. A simple rating and ranking exercise can help you determine which areas are of highest concern.
Step 5. Start an action program
Once you've decided on goal priorities, work with staff to develop specific programs and timelines to meet your goals.
Step 6. Evaluating the results
You'll want to establish a formal process for evaluating the progress being made on your goals. Are you reaching them? Are they still appropriate? Do any need to be dropped?
Some of the Mayor's Leadership Roles
Ceremonial Role
The mayor's participation in local ceremonial events is a never-ending responsibility. The mayor is expected on a daily basis to cut ribbons at ceremonies opening new businesses, break ground for construction of new city facilities, and regularly appear at fairs, parades, and other community celebrations. The mayor also issues proclamations for a variety of purposes. As featured speaker before professional clubs, school assemblies and neighborhood groups, the mayor can expect to be interviewed, photographed and otherwise placed on extensive public display by the media.
Intergovernmental Relations
Your city does not operate in a vacuum. Cities must work within a complex intergovernmental system. Keep in contact with and cooperate with your federal, state, county and school officials. Get to know the officials of neighboring and similar size cities.
Mayors take the lead in representing their local government to those from outside the community who are interested in joint ventures-including other local governments, regional organizations, and federal and state government representatives. In this area, mayors promote a favorable image of their local government and pursue resources that will benefit the community.
Public Relations
Mayors inform the public, the media, and staff about issues affecting the community. This role is critical in building public support and facilitating effective decision making by the council.
Dealing with Citizens
The most important trait a new official can cultivate is the simple ability to listen. You will quickly find that when irate citizens call on you to complain, they do not come to listen, they come to talk. So let them.
Make an effort to keep your constituents informed, and encourage citizen participation. Expect and respect citizen complaints. Make sure your city has a way to effectively deal with them.
Sitting in your position of new responsibility does not allow you to forget the people who elected you to office. They expect you to keep them informed and to give them an opportunity to express themselves. If you do this, your chances for success as a public official will be high indeed.
Dealing with the Media
The media is your best contact with the public-it informs the community about what is happening and why. A good working relationship is mutually beneficial to both you and the media. Through the media, you have the opportunity to comment publicly on local issues and inform citizens of city activities. If you work hard to cultivate that relationship, you can ensure that the media have all the facts and provide accurate, fair coverage of city issues.
Practical Advice - Helpful Pointers from Other Washington Mayors
"We're busy electing barometers, when what we really need are compasses."
- author unknown
Lead by example. Be honest, consistent, flexible. Don't play games.
Use common sense. If your heart, mind and gut are in agreement, then go for it.
Don't be stampeded into action by the strong demands of special interest groups. Your job is to find the long-term public interest of the entire community, and you may be hearing from a vocal minority.
Be clear on what you stand for - list ten things you believe in.
A new mayor should have goals - things you want to accomplish. But don't act rashly and assume that only you know the best way to accomplish things. Every issue will benefit from additional discussion. Your perceptions may change.
Sometimes we underestimate the potential impact of a mayor's leadership. Use the dignity of your office to help the community get past contentious issues.
There is a tremendous amount of discomfort in making very public decisions. Sometimes the decisions feel like the end of the earth. It's easy to fear the political consequences. But it is important to look a little more long-term in perspective, weigh everything, and reach good decisions.
You won't be able to satisfy all of the people, and you have to know that. If you try, you won't be able to demonstrate leadership. Listen fairly. . . listen thoughtfully . . . and then do what's right.
Most of the easy decisions got made a long time ago. Many decisions that need to be made can be very painful - but you can't solve those big problems without pain.