Page 86 - Leadership Secrets of Hillary Clinton

IN TRANSITION—GAME CHANGER

collaborative work environment. This executive was very
traditional, somewhat autocratic, and not a particularly
good team player. When we first started working together,
he described his day as “constantly walking into walls.”
Nothing seemed to make sense to him anymore. And yet,
he continued to do what he had always done, expecting to
get different results. Fortunately, with a little coaching, he
was able to step back, access situations from another per-
spective, and make different choices. This took some work
since he had to reevaluate his own assumptions, behaviors,
and leadership style and determine which of these were
causing him to hit the wall again and again. This greater
awareness of himself helped him to make some important
shifts. He first renewed his own vision for change for him-
self and for the organization and then began to adapt his
style and communication methods, resulting in his becom-
ing much more effective for implementing the “right”
change in the organization.
But this wasn’t easy for him. And it didn’t happen
overnight. The same is true of leading any significant
change effort within your organization. It takes determina-
tion, focus, and hard work to make change happen. In the
New Hampshire presidential debates, Hillary stated, “Mak-
ing change is not about what you believe. It’s not about a
speech you make. It’s about working hard.” She then said,
“What we need is someone who can deliver change. There
are 7,000 kids in New Hampshire who have insurance

x 75 z