Page 90 - Leadership Secrets of Hillary Clinton

IN TRANSITION—GAME CHANGER

through the Exploration stage, she began to discover her
new skill sets in mastering the intricacies of local politics
and the dramatic differences between the personalities, cul-
tures, and economies of upstate New York and the New
York City suburbs. She referred to this phase as a “nonstop
crash course” in New York and all its issues. She said in her
own words, “I was discovering my capacities and limits for
life as a political candidate. And I was finally moving
beyond my role as a surrogate campaigner and allowing
myself to operate on my own.” Even though it was a steep
learning curve for Hillary, by staying the course, she pro-
vided us with a great example of what happens when you
identify your options during a major change and begin to
make new choices for yourself. This is when you can begin
to carve out a role for yourself as a change agent. You can
look to see what needs to happen and determine how you
might lead those particular efforts.
In the final stage of change, called New Beginnings,
people begin to have the energy and attention to look out-
side themselves and begin to focus on others.
During an organizational change, they begin to notice
that regular routines are being reestablished, that people
have started figuring out how to get work done under the
new conditions, and that social networks that make people
feel more stable and connected are being reestablished.
They begin to see how they can help others who are in a
similar situation and how they can contribute to their suc-

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