Michael Nutter: 10 traits we should be looking for in Philadelphia’s next mayor

There are 292 days from the time this appears online until the polls open for voting in the mayoral primary on May 16, 2023.

Potential candidates are quietly developing their campaign operations. Voters are asking questions about crime and violence, educational advancement for our school-age children during the pandemic, the quality and delivery of equitable city services, and the return of economic vitality to neighborhood and downtown businesses impacted by COVID-19.

I had the great honor, privilege, and joy of serving as mayor of this incredible city for two terms, from 2008 until 2016. I loved the work and the challenges. I learned from my mistakes and failures, and I drew on the experiences of some of our former Philadelphia mayors — William J. Green III, W. Wilson Goode Sr., Ed Rendell, and John F. Street.

Since departing City Hall, I have had some time to think about my predecessors, and myself, in terms of being mayor of Philadelphia. I know many citizens love the “horse race” of it all — the ups and downs, the speculation of “who can win” or who is “electable.” That’s all certainly a part of big-city politics. But I want to encourage us to rethink how we elect someone to one of the most powerful positions in this city.

“Let’s change the paradigm from ‘who can win’ to ‘who can lead.’”

And so, with that in mind, let’s change the paradigm from “who can win” to “who can lead”; from “who’s the most popular” to “who’s the most qualified to govern.” That is the essence of being mayor: governing, managing, leading, inspiring, and articulating a vision of a better future for all of us, not just some of us.

Here are 10 important traits and pieces of advice that I always encourage candidates to embody, embrace, and emulate:

1. Show up every day with enthusiasm, empathy, and energy. I knew that every day when the police officers dropped me off at City Hall, or when I attended an event, people were always looking for a sign from “the Mayor” — is the city upbeat, are we winning, do we have challenges, are we going to be OK? Being mayor is an emotional roller coaster, but it is your responsibility to give people a sense of hope. They need to see you out there every day fighting, pushing, struggling — for them.

2. Be humble enough to reach out to others for help, guidance, or ideas. After winning the Democratic primary in 2007, I went to New York and Chicago to meet Mike Bloomberg and Richard Daley to learn from them. I called on our former Philadelphia mayors, and my fellow mayors across the country, all the time for advice, perspective, and support — and borrowed a whole bunch of their ideas for Philadelphia.

3. Accept responsibility for the things that happen, whether your fault or not. I’ve always believed that as mayor, you’ll get a lot of credit for things you had nothing to do with, and you’ll get blamed for things you had nothing to do with — but you’re the mayor, so you have everything to do with everything.

4. Have a plan for making things better, and stick to the plan, if you can. As the great philosopher Mike Tyson says: “Everybody’s got a plan, until they get punched in the face.” Well, I announced a bunch of plans in my first year, and then the Great Recession punched us in the face. So, we changed our approach, but still mostly stuck to the game plan — just with a lot less money.

5. Be a cheerleader and champion for the city. I think no one will ever forget one of the biggest “cheerleading” moments in Philadelphia history — Ed Rendell jumping into that swimming pool in Hunting Park, to inaugurate its reopening. Green calmed the city after the turmoil of the ’70s; Mayor Goode changed the skyline of the city; Mayor Street made neighborhoods matter.

6. Be able to stay focused on the issues that matter — safety, education, jobs, services. I thought that my speech at my first inauguration would probably be the most important speech I would make, because it would set the tone and focus of our administration. That’s why I announced my goals and priorities that first day — safety, education, jobs, services — and kept talking about them all the time.

7. Know that it is a privilege to serve your fellow citizens. I had the Athenian Oath printed on the back of my city business cards because I wanted people to know my commitment to making the city better than it was when I became mayor.

8. Be willing to hire the smartest and best people, listen to them, and let them do their jobs. We had an extensive transition process, and our team identified all kinds of folks, from inside the government and many who had no previous public service experience. We went after high-quality talent, and I asked them to serve our city.

» READ MORE: The 2023 race for Philly mayor is starting soon. Meet the candidates who might run.

9. Love the job and love the work of helping people. One day we closed part of the Ben Franklin Parkway for a Naturalization Ceremony, in response to an outrageous law passed in Arizona against immigrants. It was a small moment, but a way to offer a Philly-style welcome to our newest citizens.

10. Let people know you care about and understand their life challenges. I would often tell people my office is at City Hall, but my workplace is in the streets. I loved being out at events, listening to people talk about whatever they wanted to talk about, throwing a football with kids, being in the barbershop for real talk. There’s no job like being mayor.

As the candidates begin to announce their intention to run for mayor over the next several months, I want my fellow Philadelphians to ask themselves: Does this person who is seeking this position have the capacity, the capability, the IQ and EQ, and any past experience that demonstrates that they can actually do this job?

We’ve seen what a lack of the traits that I mention can lead to — lackluster leadership dreading another day of public service, and a city that seems to be languishing in a sea of confusion and controversy, operating almost on autopilot with seemingly no real plans of action.

We deserve better, Philadelphia, and next year is your chance to have your voice heard. Let’s elect a leader who can govern.

Michael A. Nutter was a two-term mayor of Philadelphia from 2008 to 2016.