Hillary Clinton’s recent announcement brought a few of these qualities to mind for me. Like her or not, the following leadership gems are worth consideration.
1. Purpose-driven work takes courage.
Let's face it. Hillary has been through the wringer. Folks have said hateful things about her, her husband, and her daughter. They’ve questioned her integrity. Her decisions. Even her intelligence. They’ve called her every name in the book, and it’s about to get worse. She knows this, and she’s running anyway. Either she's immune, or she truly believes in her ability to make a difference. Think about it: Hillary doesn’t need money, power, or fame. And if you believe she would subject her family to further madness for any of those things, you have a thing or two to learn about mothers. Anything truly transformational requires revolutionary courage. And in this case, the revolution will most definitely be televised.
2. Diverse work experiences breed confidence.
Have you noticed how difficult it is to intimidate Hillary? That’s because she’s well prepared. She’s served as FLOTUS, Secretary of State, and United States senator. She has won and lost, pushed and been pulled, lived in both the foreground and the background. I’m hard-pressed to name someone more intimately familiar with the office of the President than Hillary, save those who have actually been President. Varied professional experiences give you a more comprehensive view. A leader with a strong vision, backed by experience, is a more confident leader.
3. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
It’s not uncommon to fall short of a goal the first time you pursue it. Some have difficulty rebounding from failure, but since we all experience it at some point, the sooner we learn to dust ourselves off, the better. Instead of retreating, we can take advantage of the opportunity to grow inside the gap--to learn new skills, gain new insights, and create new connections. Hillary has more momentum behind her this time than when she first ran for President. And the second time up a hill is usually much easier than the first. You know where the stones are!
4. Haters gonna hate.
News flash: Not everyone’s going to like you. In fact, the more dramatic the change you are championing, the more pushback you’ll receive. Unfortunately, that pushback doesn’t always come to you respectfully. Sometimes it’s downright nasty. But your job is to make sure your heart is pure, your motivations are right, and your behavior is in sync with your values. You also have to realize that as a leader, you will be called upon to take the high road, no matter how tempted you are to dive down low. If you can remember and abide by these rules, you can take the lickin’ and keep on tickin’.
5. Your success is often not about you. Or at least not only you.
A Hillary Clinton presidency is symbolic. Many will assess each candidate against the issues they care about and vote accordingly. Others will vote for Hillary because of what, or who, she represents. A Hillary Clinton presidency would give women all over the world confidence that they, too, can attain heights higher than history has allowed, and greater than today's data suggests. As we’ve learned from our current state of affairs, this kind of breakthrough isn't without its troubles. But trouble or no trouble, a breakthrough is exactly what it would be.
The next several months will be interesting, to say the least. Women will be paying close attention to how Hillary traverses the path ahead of her, and how others respond to her along the way. Political affiliation aside, the leadership lessons will be ripe for the picking. That is, if you're paying attention.
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