Imagine the thrill of winning an opportunity to represent your city.

That was how I felt in May when I received a text saying I’d been accepted into the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative: ``Check your emails.’’ There it was — a welcome to the class of Bloomberg Harvard 10.

I was overwhelmed. I’d submitted my application back in March and never expected to be accepted. The calibre of mayors is exceptional, including, from year one, Andy Burnham, now the new Prime Minister of the UK.

But the news was embargoed, so I couldn’t share my excitement straight away. There had been a record number of applications, and they said they had chosen an exceptional group of mayors.

The Bloomberg Harvard Initiative is a year-long programme of support for city leadership. Mike Bloomberg and the team believe mayors deserve the same calibre of leadership development as CEOs.

There is no textbook for running a city, so the chance to work with experts in city leadership was one I jumped at.

The generosity of the Initiative in sponsoring mayors from around the world is overwhelming. It is a serious investment in our leadership, and I’m exceedingly grateful for our city and to the people who encouraged me to apply.

Personally, as a first-term Mayor of Dunedin, it’s been a tough start: significant government legislative changes, the sudden and awful loss of our treasured former colleague, Mayor and Councillor Jules Radich, a rough by-election, seven new councillors to induct, Codes of Conduct processes, recruiting a new CEO, budget pressures and city issues to address.

I’ve nicknamed us the “Fix it’’ council, and at times the wall of things we face feels overwhelming. My commitment is to do the best for our city, and part of that is seizing opportunities for Dunedin to shine and move forward, whether that be locally, nationally or even on the world stage.

Being chosen for the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative is an incredible opportunity for me, but most importantly for Dunedin.

It gives access to world-class learning and an international network of mayors to tap into, and it is humbling that they believe in us and are willing to invest in our city’s leadership.

The programme gives Dunedin greater exposure and practical training to help deliver a better result for our people.

It also provides an opportunity for two other city leaders to join me in the programme, helping build a strong team to share the learning and deliver real change. I have selected Deputy Mayor Cherry Lucas and incoming CEO Richard Briggs to take part alongside me.

As part of the programme, I was asked to submit a priority issue to work on through the year. I have chosen ``Reversing population decline and strengthening economic vitality’’, as it ties directly into my desire to create stronger opportunities for young people to live, work and build their futures here in Ōtepoti Dunedin.

While it might sound thrilling to be chosen to go to New York, with everything sponsored by Bloomberg Harvard, it is a big commitment in time and energy.

Our first online class was at the start of June on a Saturday at 5am. I was lucky — our other two city leaders had a 2am start. 

You have to be on your game, read the case studies, and be ready to be picked by the Harvard teacher and grilled about what you think the case is really about and how you would address the challenges.

Our first in-person class in New York was on a Sunday. I was up at 5.30am to prepare, and couldn’t help feeling intimidated about walking into a classroom with such an awe-inspiring group.

I had read their bios — incredibly smart leaders with serious issues to address. Then I was chosen to give a speech in front of them all.

My coach had been impressed by the story of my lion dress, which I wore to give me courage for a day I thought would be incredibly challenging. It felt like being back at school in the top stream, with elite teachers, while jet-lagged and unsure what to expect.

What I found was a room of humble, generous, dedicated people, each with their own story of leadership, whether from overcoming huge odds or answering a calling to lift up their communities. I was surrounded by positive people dedicated to making lives better. It was inspirational.

The next four days passed in a whirlwind: 5.30am starts, full days of class, incredible speakers including Arianna Huffington, Mike Bloomberg, the CEO of Google and the CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropies, Harvard professors drilling us on case studies and frameworks, working on our key priorities with mayoral teams, and late finishes.

The quote that will stay with me is from Arianna Huffington: “Mayors for the power of good.’’

In a world facing huge challenges, rapid change and many people feeling overwhelmed, mayors can inspire and help communities move forward.

Bloomberg Harvard is helping build our city’s toolbox of leadership skills. I am deeply inspired by this chance to address a key priority for Dunedin and help our city progress.

Sophie Barker is the Mayor of Dunedin.