Global mayors gain leadership lessons from Harvard research

Thirty-nine mayors from 11 countries across five continents joined Harvard faculty and renowned management leaders in an immersive classroom experience this week to kick off the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative. The yearlong program is designed to deliver research-backed learning for mayors and senior city leaders, helping close the gap in executive development for the public sector. 

Established by Bloomberg Philanthropies, Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School as a first-of-its-kind program, the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, based at the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University, equips mayors and senior city leaders with the tools and expertise to expand their problem-solving capacity, strengthen their city halls, and improve outcomes for residents as cities confront increasingly global challenges. 

More than 40 Harvard faculty have contributed to research and curriculum development for the initiative, with the support of almost 60 student research assistants and research fellows.

Members of the eighth class of mayors hail from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Kenya, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United States. Read the full list of participants here.

“As national governments increasingly rely on cities to help them achieve their goals, there has never been a greater need for investment in the capacity of mayors and local leaders to do big things,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and Bloomberg L.P. and 108th mayor of New York City. “Our Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative is designed to help mayors become more effective managers, build strong teams, and learn from the successes of other cities. This diverse class of leaders come from 11 countries, and we’re looking forward to helping them deliver results for the millions of residents they serve.”

 “The Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative brings together city leaders from across the nation and the world. They work with one another and draw on resources from throughout the University to address pressing social problems, improving the lives of millions of people,” said Harvard University Interim President Alan Garber. “Part of the Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard, the Initiative represents the University’s commitments to advancing rigorous scholarship, to putting cutting-edge research into practice, and to empowering and inspiring leaders to make a difference. I am pleased to join Bloomberg Philanthropies in welcoming our eighth cohort of mayors and senior leaders to the program.”

Notable alumni of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative include Mayor Karen Bass of Los Angeles, California; U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana; Mayor Michelle Wu of Boston, Massachusetts; and Claudia López, former Mayor of Bogotá, Columbia.