Feature Article - December 2007

A "Wilder" Ride than Expected from Richmond's New Mayor

Mayor and former Governor L. Douglas Wilder is shaking up city hall in Richmond, Virginia, keeping a fundamental campaign promise on one hand but raising blood pressures on the other. 

After a distinguished and award-winning career leading to the Governorship of Virginia, Wilder became a leading advocate for a mayor-at-large referendum, which would enable the voters to select their mayor rather than city council.  The referendum won wide support, and so did he.  As a result, in 2005 he became the first directly-elected mayor in 60 years, largely because of his promise to take on corruption in city government.  In fact, he started giving ultimatums to city council even before taking office. 

Sparring for power

Thus began a love-hate relationship between the mayor and city administrators.  There has been a lot of direct talk and tough action by the mayor, including heavy-handed behavior with no apologies.  In the most public quarrel to date, Wilder evicted the school board from city hall, casting their files and furnishings into the night, only to have them returned by court order the next day.  The sparring over who has what power (city council or mayor) will continue for some.   In three years, his popularity has fallen from an election-day sweep of 79 percent of the vote.  The Richmond Times-Dispatch found that only 40 percent of those surveyed would vote for him again, "if the election were held today."  By the same survey, the popularity of the city council is just as low.  Nevertheless, Mayor Wilder stands tough, saying recently that his days of extending olive branches are over.

More than meets the eye

Many people would say, the mayor is acting like a "bull in a china shop," alienating people more than necessary when he should be building relationships.  But I believe we are witnessing a classic organizational turn-around.  In a turn-around situation, seasoned leaders know that they have relatively little time to make a big difference.  They have to fight the inertia of a large bureaucracy, deeply held norms, and resistant stakeholders.  

Rarely do turn-around managers make many friends, but that's not what they're paid to do.  In fact, the best turn-around artists move on once their role is complete, usually to a similar situation.  It would be extremely difficult to build and maintain an organization once you have affected the needed change.  Not all leaders are suited to this kind of challenge, just as some are not the best fit for managing a mature or slow-growing business unit that requires more subtle relationship-building. 

A turn-around in progress

Wilder never seems to shrink from a fight and has earned a tougher reputation than he ever had as governor, which tells me that we are seeing a manager with a wider-than-usual repertoire of leadership skills.  Successful executives need to be ready, willing and able to use more than one approach to fit the situation.  Leaders who find a comfort zone with one method or approach can become "one-trick ponies." 

In retrospect, these turbulent times will likely be seen as the price that was paid to get Richmond moving in a better direction. Popular or not, Governor Wilder will have done his job.

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