--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The most important thing a mayor does is…" description: "\"The most important thing a mayor does is hire talented people to run the city.\" — John Hickenlooper" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/john-hickenlooper-2400_city_the-most-important-thing-a-mayor-does-is_2708205.png" --- # The most important thing a mayor does is hire talented… ![“The most important thing a mayor does is hire talented people to run the city.” quote by John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/john-hickenlooper-2400_city_the-most-important-thing-a-mayor-does-is_2708205.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/john-hickenlooper-2400_city_the-most-important-thing-a-mayor-does-is_2708205.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/john-hickenlooper-2400_city_the-most-important-thing-a-mayor-does-is_2708205.png) > “The most important thing a mayor does is hire talented people to run the city.” [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective leadership relies on appointing skilled personnel to manage complex municipal operations. **In simple terms:** Hire talent to run the city. Key Takeaway Prioritize hiring competent staff. Themes leadership management city governance Mood pragmatic optimistic Type advisory inspirational When to use this quote - budget planning - public works - community programs - crisis response Key Concepts human resources public administration Questions to Reflect On - How do you assess talent for public roles? - What checks prevent nepotism? A Different Perspective Talent alone cannot fix systemic policy failures. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city/) [Mayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mayor/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Talented people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talented-people/) ## Related quotes > [We cannot have a mayor who does not support pension reform. We cannot have a mayor who will not support managed competition for city…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-faulconer/we-cannot-have-a-mayor-who-does-not-support-pension-reform-we-cannot/) [Kevin Faulconer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-faulconer/) > [We have a training period; we have certain guidelines and structure. You can't hire talented people and stifle them. That's not the way it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-english/we-have-a-training-period-we-have-certain-guidelines-and-structure/) [Todd English](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-english/) > [“I hire the most talented of people who are the least likely to throw a punch in the workplace.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/i-hire-the-most-talented-of-people-who-are-the-least-likely-to-throw/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [I think that I've learned to relax, and trust in and hire very talented people, and trust in their abilities a little more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-romanek/i-think-that-i-ve-learned-to-relax-and-trust-in-and-hire-very/) [Mark Romanek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-romanek/) > [Today it's almost impossible to do it unless you are an actress or writer with power... I wouldn't hesitate right this minute to hire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-lupino/today-it-s-almost-impossible-to-do-it-unless-you-are-an-actress-or/) [Ida Lupino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-lupino/) > [I'd love to see more women working as directors and producers. Today it's almost impossible to do it unless you are an actress or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-lupino/i-d-love-to-see-more-women-working-as-directors-and-producers-today/) [Ida Lupino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-lupino/) > [I hire talented, creative, passionate learners who have a history of turning intention into reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-henderson/i-hire-talented-creative-passionate-learners-who-have-a-history-of/) [Jeff Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-henderson/) > [Of everyone else who was running, and there were some very talented people, none of them had anywhere near the experience I had in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/of-everyone-else-who-was-running-and-there-were-some-very-talented/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [Wellington Webb was one of the most significant mayors of the latter half of the 20th century. His natural political instincts are almost unrivaled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/wellington-webb-was-one-of-the-most-significant-mayors-of-the-latter/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [I could easily say that, for quite a long time before I became mayor, I had obeyed all laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/i-could-easily-say-that-for-quite-a-long-time-before-i-became-mayor-i/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [If you ask me about Donna Lynne, she's one of the flat-out most talented people I've ever worked with, and I've worked with some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/if-you-ask-me-about-donna-lynne-she-s-one-of-the-flat-out-most/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [A mayor is a symbol and a public face of what a city bureaucracy provides its citizens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/a-mayor-is-a-symbol-and-a-public-face-of-what-a-city-bureaucracy/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [Some people call me the unofficial mayor of Castro Street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-milk/some-people-call-me-the-unofficial-mayor-of-castro-street/) [Harvey Milk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-milk/) > [“Viva my husband who was Mayor of this town”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/viva-my-husband-who-was-mayor-of-this-town/) [Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/) > [I love being the mayor. I want to be the mayor forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-koch/i-love-being-the-mayor-i-want-to-be-the-mayor-forever/) [Ed Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-koch/) ## More by John Hickenlooper > [Especially during the first nine months, there was so much going on with trying to hire 55 people to run the city, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/especially-during-the-first-nine-months-there-was-so-much-going-on/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [There's nothing wrong with the Democratic Party that talks more about - and more loudly about - jobs, and cutting red tape, and bureaucracy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/there-s-nothing-wrong-with-the-democratic-party-that-talks-more-about/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [One's ability to enter into thousands of lawsuits as a tool for success, or to use bankruptcy to avoid paying your former employees and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/one-s-ability-to-enter-into-thousands-of-lawsuits-as-a-tool-for/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [I could easily say that, for quite a long time before I became mayor, I had obeyed all laws.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/i-could-easily-say-that-for-quite-a-long-time-before-i-became-mayor-i/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [We have tax revenue that's going to allow us to look in a much more comprehensive way at intervening in addiction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/we-have-tax-revenue-that-s-going-to-allow-us-to-look-in-a-much-more/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [Some day, someone will do something wrong and there will be a scandal to report in the paper. When that happens, we will address…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/some-day-someone-will-do-something-wrong-and-there-will-be-a-scandal/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [Wellington Webb was one of the most significant mayors of the latter half of the 20th century. His natural political instincts are almost unrivaled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/wellington-webb-was-one-of-the-most-significant-mayors-of-the-latter/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [On Mother's Day, we take a moment to stop and honor our mothers for all they do. It has been my privilege to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/on-mother-s-day-we-take-a-moment-to-stop-and-honor-our-mothers-for/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [We don't want the federal government coming in and telling us how to do our environmental remediation or how we're going to do our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/we-don-t-want-the-federal-government-coming-in-and-telling-us-how-to/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [I think a couple things, I mean, you know, the tragic death of Matthew Shepard occurred in Wyoming. Colorado and Wyoming are very similar.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/i-think-a-couple-things-i-mean-you-know-the-tragic-death-of-matthew/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [The Affordable Care Act was passed in large part because of recognition that our nation's health care system is not working. The act is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/the-affordable-care-act-was-passed-in-large-part-because-of/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [We need a comprehensive focus on infrastructure that supports not just transportation but also broadband, education, healthcare, and our environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/we-need-a-comprehensive-focus-on-infrastructure-that-supports-not/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [People don't realize that almost two-thirds of the population in the United States lives in a state where either medical or recreational marijuana are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/people-don-t-realize-that-almost-two-thirds-of-the-population-in-the/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [I started out here in Colorado as a geologist. During a downturn, everyone in our company got laid off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/i-started-out-here-in-colorado-as-a-geologist-during-a-downturn/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) > [This is a generous country that realizes people want to work hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/this-is-a-generous-country-that-realizes-people-want-to-work-hard/) [John Hickenlooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) [Explore all 168 John Hickenlooper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/) ## More City quotes > [I've seen a lot of people come out of Carol City, but I had this distinct vision for Carol City, just me coming out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-curry/i-ve-seen-a-lot-of-people-come-out-of-carol-city-but-i-had-this/) [Denzel Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-curry/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [I've been to Manchester enough to know it's a real place. It's not Factory Records and the Smiths bicycling around. I get it. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-murphy/i-ve-been-to-manchester-enough-to-know-it-s-a-real-place-it-s-not/) [James Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-murphy/) > [Though 'Fat City' was written long before cellphones or the Internet, its human apparatus is state of the art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-dunn/though-fat-city-was-written-long-before-cellphones-or-the-internet/) [Katherine Dunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-dunn/) > [I get paid to play, to win, to give the city pride, so maybe everybody can forget for a little while how hard life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randall-cunningham/i-get-paid-to-play-to-win-to-give-the-city-pride-so-maybe-everybody/) [Randall Cunningham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randall-cunningham/) > [In my first 100 days as Ontario's Minister of Transportation, I found a willing municipal partner in the City of Toronto that shares our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-mulroney/in-my-first-100-days-as-ontario-s-minister-of-transportation-i-found/) [Caroline Mulroney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-mulroney/) > [Even after my family moved West, I would come back to Long Island as a teenager, stay with aunts and go to the city…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everlast/even-after-my-family-moved-west-i-would-come-back-to-long-island-as-a/) [Everlast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everlast/) > [We all got driven out of Manhattan. It was a very conducive place for artists when I was growing up, and now it's definitely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaby-hoffmann/we-all-got-driven-out-of-manhattan-it-was-a-very-conducive-place-for/) [Gaby Hoffmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaby-hoffmann/) > [I was always attracted most to joining City, and I am pleased to be at such a good club with such a big ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edin-dzeko/i-was-always-attracted-most-to-joining-city-and-i-am-pleased-to-be-at/) [Edin Dzeko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edin-dzeko/) > [“Poor people do not go on holiday; they go home.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/poor-people-do-not-go-on-holiday-they-go-home/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [I know of not one Republican candidate that would not appear publicly with Mitt Romney and I know many Democrats that don't even want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-sessions/i-know-of-not-one-republican-candidate-that-would-not-appear-publicly/) [Pete Sessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-sessions/) > [We have an obligation at the local level to do everything we can with the resources we have. And we do those things. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-wheeler/we-have-an-obligation-at-the-local-level-to-do-everything-we-can-with/) [Ted Wheeler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-wheeler/) > [I didn't know the city at all, but I was so happy to be in New York I cried. I was so excited.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greta-gerwig/i-didn-t-know-the-city-at-all-but-i-was-so-happy-to-be-in-new-york-i/) [Greta Gerwig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greta-gerwig/) > [I loved 'Chicago Code;' I watched that a lot. It was great because it really captured the city - I'm from Chicago, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessy-schram/i-loved-chicago-code-i-watched-that-a-lot-it-was-great-because-it/) [Jessy Schram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessy-schram/) > [Vienna is a handsome, lively city, and pleases me exceedingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/vienna-is-a-handsome-lively-city-and-pleases-me-exceedingly/) [Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/) [Browse all 5,394 City quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The most important thing a mayor does is hire talented people to run the city.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Hickenlooper" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/the-most-important-thing-a-mayor-does-is-hire-talented-people-to-run/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "City" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/the-most-important-thing-a-mayor-does-is-hire-talented-people-to-run/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/john-hickenlooper-2400_city_the-most-important-thing-a-mayor-does-is_2708205.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/john-hickenlooper-2400_city_the-most-important-thing-a-mayor-does-is_2708205.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a0/john-hickenlooper-2400_city_the-most-important-thing-a-mayor-does-is_2708205.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The most important thing a mayor does is hire talented people to run the city.” — John Hickenlooper", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Hickenlooper", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hickenlooper/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The most important thing a mayor...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/the-most-important-thing-a-mayor-does-is-hire-talented-people-to-run/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hickenlooper/the-most-important-thing-a-mayor-does-is-hire-talented-people-to-run/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```