The winner of the Democratic primaries, Zohran Mamdani.
25/07/2025
Doctora en Psicologia Social
3 min

An English proverb says that every cloud has a silver lining, and this is a beautiful definition of hope. When a bright spot opens in a dark political moment, it's worth celebrating. A successful shared leadership experience has both surprised and excited many people affected by so-called "democratic fatigue." On June 13, Zohran Mamdani and Brad Lander, Chief Financial Officer of the City of New York, announced a cross-endorsementMamdani asked his voters to vote for Lander as a second candidate, and Lander, in turn, did the same for Mamdani. The two were vying to win the Democratic Party nomination for mayor of New York, but their rivalry didn't prevent a close alliance. If one of them was eliminated, the other's votes would flow directly to the incumbent candidate, strengthening his position. Together, they were much stronger than apart: Lander brought political structure, his base in Brooklyn, and enormous experience; Mamdani ran a vibrant campaign among young people, immigrants, and progressive communities.

Two days later, Mamdani expanded the coalition by adding Michael Blake, former vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee, with a cross-endorsement similar mutual. The goal was also to accumulate votes for Blake, particularly present in the Bronx. The three candidates' campaigns coordinated messages, shared resources: robocalls, joint events, and mutual support on social media and printed materials (even flyers with Mamdani and Lander on the back).

Why is what should be common and reasonable so special? Because of its rarity in an era of personalism, hyper-leadership, and bitter clashes between politicians, even within the same party. It's interesting to note that this wasn't a conditional clause ("if Mamdani won, Lander would come in second"), but a unilateral, reciprocal agreement before the election: Mamdani and Lander mutually committed to appearing second on each other's ballots. This wasn't a post-election offer, but a pre-election strategy, designed to consolidate progressive votes before the count and prevent the flight of votes to traditional candidates.

This unusual gesture of shared leadership has captured the attention of many New Yorkers, tired of aggressive and confrontational politics. Not only has Mamdani promoted a collaborative strategy, maintaining an inclusive and united campaign, but he has also focused on specific citizen issues with compelling messages: rent freezes, tax increases for the wealthy, free transportation, municipal supermarkets, and universal childcare. He championed the model of "the city we can afford," addressing "real poverty," those who can't make ends meet, and street vendors. Active listening has been another of his hallmarks, along with creative audiovisual content that appealed to Generation Z. He hasn't shied away from controversy, but has confronted it with global positions as an expression of universal ethical principles. For once, content and form have been harmoniously aligned. The result: Mamdani won the Democratic Party primary against all odds and will be a candidate for mayor of New York in November.

A significant portion of the citizenry is experiencing disenchantment, exhaustion, or disaffection with the functioning of the democratic system. Scandals, corruption, extreme polarization, and the perception of political ineffectiveness are largely responsible for this psychosocial phenomenon. The consequences are evident in rising electoral abstention, institutional distrust, political cynicism, and growing support for authoritarian alternatives—all of which are highly detrimental to democratic coexistence.

Mamdani's leadership is a benchmark for other forms of leadership. It combines the proven benefits of shared leadership (through its coalition-building and listening strategy), empathy (through its attention to daily experience), authenticity (through its communicative style and ideological coherence), and transformational character (through its structural and redistributive agenda). This approach, rare in current politics, makes it a contemporary case study in socially engaged leadership.

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