Keep the daily tasks of running New York City simple and focused.
Zoran Mamdani is about to learn what I learned the hard way: no one can truly prepare for the tsunami-like dynamics of going from an ordinary person to the leader of a city of 8.5 million people. So let me share my experience as a two-term mayor of New York City and offer a little guidance (or at least some comfort) to Zoran and his team as they begin their unusual journey in government.
There are four areas that can make or break your first year as mayor: team, simplicity, speed and authenticity.
Let me break them down.
Team: When I started having meaningful conversations with Zoran earlier this year, I was amazed at how deeply and thoughtfully he took advice. When it came to understanding the mayor's role, he was consistently big-picture oriented and historically grounded. And as I watched him reach out to people with experience and understanding, regardless of ideological differences, I became confident that he would not make the mistake of simply hiring from his inner circle.
It is easy and comfortable to surround yourself with long-time supporters. But the best strategy is to retain a core of trusted true believers while seeking highly qualified individuals for other positions. This is the best way to serve New Yorkers while also combating the “hostile environment” that the forces of the status quo in business, politics and the media will use to try to stifle Mamdani’s vision and success.
Simplicity: There is no place faster and more dynamic than New York City Hall. Every day is a battle to maintain a preventive program against endless attacks, crises and incessant incoming fire. In this context, complexity poses a serious threat. Anything that unnecessarily slows down the implementation of the agenda can be fatal to the overall equation of continued progress and development of political capital.
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Fortunately, no candidate in recent memory has kept his vision as simple and focused as Zoran Mamdani. The key, especially in the beginning, is to maintain this momentum amid the rolling waves of daily challenges associated with leading our city.
I unoriginally (but, I believe, effectively) used the first 100 days of Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency as an example that helped me and my team score big early victories with Pre-K for All, paid sick days, and fair contracts for municipal employees. This gave us time to continue with the rest of our plan. At first we didn't try to do too much. This opened up the opportunity to do much more.
Unfortunately, we didn't always get it right. On the smaller but morally important issue of banning the inhumane practice of using horse-drawn carriages to navigate the busy streets of downtown Manhattan as tourist transportation, we have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. We have made an unreasonably difficult attempt to improve the law and missed the opportunity for quick and bold action that could have prevailed.
Speed: Successful mayors recognize the power of striking while the iron is hot. This is especially true when it comes to advancing progressive policies: I have often reflected that my administration could not have achieved Pre-K for All and started 3-K for All if we had waited just one more year. Since we seized the first good opportunity, more than 500,000 New York City children have already benefited from this initiative.
This is also true in moments of crisis. The rule of thumb is simple: if you think something might become a major problem, act as if it already is.
At one point during my administration we had a blizzard with the largest snowfall recorded in the city since the Civil War. My team and I were very focused in the days before it struck, taking quick action and communicating with the public accordingly. As a result, New York recovered with amazing speed. However, several years later, what seemed like a minor snowstorm suddenly intensified and led to a massive crowding of people on the George Washington Bridge, paralyzing traffic across much of the city for half a day. Our failure to immediately adapt to the situation prolonged the crisis.
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Anticipating chaos and being willing to make violent changes when things get out of hand are necessary ingredients for Zoran to achieve his larger goal.
Authenticity: Zoran ran like the real him, and New Yorkers loved it. The real Zoran is the only version that can succeed in control. He is blessed with a charming personality and exceptional communication skills. Now he must admit that only he can defeat himself by taking the blows.
I learned early on the biggest lesson about my favorite New Yorkers: don't bullshit them. They admire directness, strength and confidence because that is the energy of the place. If you blink, they won't believe you.
As the nation's largest metropolis begins an extraordinary and hopeful era, it has chosen the right leader for the moment. Our new mayor has a unique talent for inspiring New Yorkers. He proved this with a transformative election campaign. Now he must use that talent to revive the quintessential New York spirit of building something the world has never seen before.
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