This - the leadership of the mayor is crucial, because it is to

Hear the words of Marc Morial, son of New Orleans and servant of the people, who declared: “This—the leadership of the mayor is crucial, because it is to the mayor that people will look to provide the vision, the energy, and the sense of confidence in the rebuilding and the recovery.” In this utterance is contained the essence of civic leadership, the recognition that in times of despair the eyes of the people turn toward one who must stand as beacon and guide. For the mayor, though mortal like any other, becomes in crisis the vessel of vision, the fountain of energy, and the guardian of confidence.

When catastrophe strikes, whether by flood, by fire, or by famine, the people tremble. Their homes lie broken, their streets deserted, their hearts heavy with fear. In such a moment, the machinery of government is not enough; it is the spirit of leadership that breathes life into recovery. The mayor’s charge is not only to manage resources, but to inspire belief, to kindle hope when all else seems dark. For where there is no vision, the people perish; where there is no confidence, the rebuilding falters.

Consider the story of Fiorello La Guardia, the beloved mayor of New York during the Great Depression and the Second World War. His city knew hunger, strikes, blackouts, and fear. Yet La Guardia, small in stature but mighty in spirit, became the living symbol of resilience. He read the comics over the radio to children when newspapers were on strike, stood at soup kitchens, and walked among the people in their suffering. Through his vision of unity, his tireless energy, and the confidence he inspired, the city endured. His example proves Morial’s wisdom: in times of rebuilding, the mayor must be more than an administrator—he must be the very heart of the people.

The origin of Morial’s words lies in his own city, New Orleans, a place marked by triumph and tragedy, by music and storms. As its mayor, he understood that the people of a city do not rise from disaster by policies alone, but by the belief that recovery is possible. And belief does not spring from statistics; it springs from leadership. Thus, he spoke this truth: that the mayor’s role is not a mere office, but a sacred duty—to channel the strength of the people back to themselves.

Yet the teaching is not confined to mayors alone. In every community, in every gathering, there is need for someone to hold vision when others see only ruin, to give energy when others are weary, to plant confidence when despair has taken root. Whether in cities, families, or small circles of companions, the principle is the same: leadership in times of crisis is the power to transform fear into courage, and ruin into rebuilding.

The lesson, therefore, is clear: do not underestimate the importance of those who lead you in times of trial, nor the responsibility that falls upon them. And if you yourself are called to such a role, know that your first duty is not to command, but to inspire. Your people will look to you for more than plans—they will look to you for hope. They will measure your words not by eloquence but by the confidence they stir, your actions not by swiftness but by the vision they reveal.

Practical action flows from this wisdom: support leaders who embody these virtues, but also cultivate them within yourself. In your home, be the one who provides vision when others are confused. In your workplace, bring energy when others grow weary. In your community, give confidence to those who have lost it. For though Morial spoke of mayors, his words ring true for all who bear the mantle of leadership: the task is not merely to rebuild walls, but to rebuild hearts.

So remember always Morial’s wisdom: in the aftermath of trial, the people seek vision, energy, and confidence, and it is to their leaders they turn. Let those leaders, whether mayors or ordinary men and women, rise to the call. For in rising, they lift their people with them, and in lifting their people, they restore not only the city but the spirit of humanity itself.