Page 109 - Leadership Secrets of Hillary Clinton

LEADERSHIP SECRETS OF HILLARY CLINTON

In her address to the Asia Society in February of 2009,
as secretary of state, Hillary used this concept of “connect-
edness” to describe a new era in U.S. diplomacy. She said,
“Today it is tempting to focus our attention on the tensions
and perils of our interdependence, but I prefer to view our
connectedness as an opportunity for dynamic and produc-
tive partnerships that can address both the challenge and
the promise of this new century.” Isn’t this also true for
resilient business leaders? We are living in a world that is
getting more complex every day, and leaders need creative
ideas and integrated thinking to solve problems and take
advantage of opportunities. As a result, business is increas-
ingly getting done through networks, partnerships, and
alliances made up of very diverse individuals.
Finally, I want to delve into the idea of being connected
in order to help others. Reaching out and supporting oth-
ers unconditionally is a critical component of expanding
your network and building powerful alliances. While the
law of reciprocity says that if you help someone else, that
person will owe you a favor in return, I think that there is
more to it than that. I call it “generosity of the heart.” Peo-
ple feel that you are a special person when you support
them for the sake of their success or the achievement of a
worthwhile goal, and for no other reason. I heard this over
and over again about Hillary as I interviewed her friends
and colleagues for this book. Kristin Mannion shared this
with me:

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