Daniel Spears

Leadership – A Means to an End Mayor of The City of Rochester

A leader must have courage, must listen to diverse ideas and be willing to do the right thing.

       Leadership, to me, is not a goal but a means to an end, and I continue to be motivated by the people I’ve grown up with, or met throughout Rochester who are creative, hardworking and full of potential.
       As a child in the 19^th Ward, I saw people in my city who lacked access to opportunities. As I got older, I saw a tale of two Rochester’s – neighborhoods that were growing after an era of decline while other neighborhoods remained neglected. Not everyone was benefitting. If I was going to take the lead and work to usher in a rising tide, I wanted it to lift ALL boats.
       I ran for Mayor to fight for jobs, safer and more vibrant neighborhoods and better educational opportunities for all of Rochester. Our city is once again becoming a place our young people are proud to call home. While we talk a lot about development – and I am truly excited about projects like the Inner Loop and ROC the Riverway – ultimately, it’s not about infrastructure, it’s about making life better for the people who live here. My goal is a vibrant, healthy city for people of all ages. To lead that effort, I focus on three things:

       Collaboration: Healthy partnerships are crucial to a city’s success – and that means cultivating and building relationships with leaders in the public, private, nonprofit, academic, citizen and neighborhood sectors. As a leader, I owe it to my community to advocate on its behalf and ask for the resources my city deserves. When we work together, we all rise as one.

       Objectives: I manage by objectives and put great faith in the people around me, trusting them to accomplish the goals we set as a team. Picking the right people is one of the most challenging responsibilities of a leader – but also the most important. A leadership team must operate with integrity and be visible in the community. My team knows I also expect clear and measurable progress toward our objectives.

       Innovation: I will not accept “because that’s the way we’ve always done things,” as a response. Often, old problems demand new solutions. Our community is program rich and results poor. I am looking for new ideas and identifying initiatives that have been successful in other cities, in other communities. I am willing to take risks and try new things. I believe that change can be hard, but change can happen if you keep pushing forward.
     

When I remain focused on the people I serve, it’s easier to confront the challenges. A leader must have courage, must listen to diverse ideas and be willing to do the right thing even in the face of opposition.
       For example, as Mayor, I have little say in how our public schools are run – but I refuse to be silent. Too many children in Rochester are stuck in failing schools and that’s unacceptable. A child’s zip code should not determine their fate. Meeting the needs of children has been a primary goal of mine from the first day of my administration, and we’ve significantly improved pre-K enrollment, modernized our school buildings and expanded programs at our libraries and R-Centers to support our youth.
       But I can no longer sit back and wait for change from within the school district. This is why I’m advocating for a referendum vote to disband our dysfunctional school board and initiate the complete “reset” that Distinguished Educator Jaime Aquino recommended in his report. I want our families to have a say in fixing our schools and to give our kids a fighting chance at life.
       Taking on these challenges may not make me popular with everyone, but I’m not running for Homecoming Queen. I’m leading the third-largest city in New York State, and I take my responsibilities to our people seriously. I became a leader to make a difference.

       Mayor Lovely Ann Warren is Rochester’s first female, second African-American, and youngest mayor in modern times.
       She is currently serving her second four-year term, having been re-elected in 2017. Her administration continues to focus on job creation and improving educational opportunities for Rochester’s residents.
       Prior to becoming mayor, she was a Rochester City Council member from 2007 to 2013, and was elected as City Council president in 2010. She holds a bachelor’s degree from John Jay College and Juris Doctor from Albany Law School. She is married and the mother of a young daughter.

Being An Authentic Leader

For me, taking the time to establish rapport and express a sincere desire to get to know colleagues is as important as the work to be done.

       What is your leadership style, and what practices do you follow that have helped you to grow into a better leader over time?

       Leadership, to me, is all about listening. One of the best ways I can show that I care is by listening with an open mind. In terms of strategy — listening, when done right, gives one control of the conversation redirecting the talker to the common shared goal. Ever wonder why many thought leaders from Japan, despite knowing English, often use a translator? It is to avoid a quick reaction and spend more time listening. 

        Introducing efficiency is an important metric for any leader. To achieve efficiency, it could be tempting to shorten social interaction and focus more on the agenda. For me, taking the time to establish rapport and express a sincere desire to get to know colleagues is as important as the work-to-be-done. Getting the small-talk right in a sincere manner can be tricky, awkward and messy. As a result, it may be tempting to shorten face time and use the  “like”/“retweet” button with excess. I find it rewarding to embrace the uncertainty of human interaction and through repeated practice, make it as fluid as possible. 
        I make it a priority to remember the smallest details of the individuals with whom I work. For example, when I was given the assignment to advise 30+ undergraduate students I knew it would be difficult to remember all of their details. I resorted to maintaining a  Google doc where I could add details about them over the years which I occasionally reviewed. This allowed every brief interaction with those students to be fulfilling and satisfying. 

       We do not realize that the most important word for any individual is their name. A simple practice like using   people’s names helps us build rapport. Even when I order a cup of coffee at Tim Horton’s drive-up window, I      always read the attendant’s name tag and thank them using their name. The genuine smile I receive back for being acknowledged gives me a sense of joy every morning. 
        It may be expected for a leader to know everything. I find it very liberating to admit as often as appropriate ‘I don’t know.’  Similarly, being vulnerable when investing in a relationship that may or may not work, and trusting people, is very important. I find addressing situations with statements such as “I trust you in …,” “I was wrong, you were right,” “I am sorry,” and “I am grateful” help cultivate relationships, and build trust.

   
       What are some of the challenges you face in your leadership position?

        Having a team that embodies and appreciates diversity of thought will always put us ahead. Building a team that truly represents diversity, broadly defined, is a challenge, and we always feel we can do better. For example, as innovators, our inventions should be applicable to everyone regardless of their gender, age, culture, language, and ethnicity. It is important that our team equally represent all the appropriate stakeholders to better understand the blind spots that our invention may miss.

       What impact do you want to have in Rochester as a result of your leadership experience?

       As we prepare students at the University of Rochester with skills in data science and Artificial Intelligence, many look to explore careers post graduation. We are working to help local aspiring business owners and entrepreneurs understand that having access to local talent from the U of R and RIT can cost them a fraction of other tech hubs, and therefore be a significant competitive advantage. 
       As a leader, I always highlight the importance of work-life balance and how it positively impacts one’s quality of life. 
       I also hope that we will be able to continue to attract talent from outside of Rochester given our economic opportunities, cultural amenities, and excellent education.  
       We may, however, have to help students get started with winter sports though to truly appreciate the …umm… energetic winter of Rochester. 

       Ehsan Hoque is an Asaro-Biggar Family Fellow and Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Rochester. He holds a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 
        Dr. Hoque’s research focuses on computationally modeling many facets of human communication, with the goal of improving the lives of the disadvantaged, ill, and disabled. He is one of  MITs top innovators under 35 and a recipient of the World Technology Award (2016). He has been listed on Science News “10 Scientists to Watch” for 2017.
       Dr. Hoque is also the primary caregiver of his younger brother, age 19, who is nonverbal and has severe social difficulties.