Page 54 - Leadership Secrets of Hillary Clinton

SMART POWER

She knew that she needed to prove to New York voters that
she understood the issues that their families faced and
prove her determination to work for them. While she could
have had her staff prepare briefings for her about this, she
knew that it would be better if she saw and heard for her-
self what life was like for people on Main Street. She
orchestrated a series of “listening tours” that allowed her to
hear firsthand from New York citizens about their hopes,
fears, issues, and concerns. She covered 62 counties, trav-
eling from one local spot to another in a converted Ford
van, which the press nicknamed the HRC Speedwagon.
She visited coffee shops, diners, and town halls. She went
into people’s homes and spoke with groups sitting around a
dining room table. As a result of her effort, people began
to see Hillary as someone who was genuinely interested in
them, and they began to feel comfortable sharing their
concerns and stories with her. She learned the right ques-
tions to ask, and she gathered her answers in the form of
mental images and personal stories. By the time she was
done, not only did she have all the answers for the exam,
but she could write the exam herself!
One of the chapters in my Sticky Floors book is about
leveraging your political savvy. Tina Sung, vice president of
government transformation for Partnership for Public
Service, often talks to women in our SHAMBAUGH
Leadership programs about the positive aspects of being
politically savvy, and she links doing your homework in

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