Humanizing Leadership.
When I stepped into my role in the Mayor’s Office, one of my earliest objectives was simple, but bold: humanize the Mayor.
Women in leadership, especially in politics, are often labeled as cold, distant, or unapproachable. Headlines and comment sections strip away complexity and replace it with caricature. I wanted to challenge that narrative.
Inspired by pop culture’s “Mean Tweets” format, I created a moment of vulnerability. I invited the Mayor to read some of the harsh, unfiltered comments written about her, not to glorify them, but to confront them with humor, grace, and humanity.
The process.
The process began with a deep dive into the digital landscape surrounding the Mayor’s public perception. I methodically reviewed comments, tweets, and posts across multiple social platforms, identifying language that reflected the real, unfiltered sentiment often directed toward women in leadership.
From there, I curated a selection of messages — carefully filtering for tone and appropriateness — to ensure the content remained impactful without crossing into harm or dehumanization.
The Mayor was presented with the final selection without prior review, allowing for genuine, unscripted reactions. This element of vulnerability and spontaneity became the heart of the project, transforming hurtful words into moments of reflection, humor, and connection.
This wasn’t about entertainment; it was about reframing power.
Representation is not just visual; it’s emotional. By allowing space for humor and vulnerability, this moment disrupted stereotypes about women in leadership and softened the distance between government and the people it serves.
It created conversation. It created relatability. And most of all, it created a new lens through which leadership could be seen.
“This is next-level shade and pettiness — and I love it.”
“She ate and left no crumbs with this.”
“I actually enjoyed this. More?”
“We might steal this idea for our own. Well done!”
“I can’t believe how much people like this… Kudos to you, Nyla!”