Hillary Clinton Leadership Style
Introduction
Hillary Rodham Clinton is, in many people’s perspective, an outstanding leader and a great person. Her tenure in the United States’ government, particularly in such senior positions as Secretary of State was marked with effectiveness and sobriety. This paper points out and describes collaboration and transformation as key leadership styles associated with Hillary Clinton.
During the last days of the 2016 presidential campaigns, Ms. Clinton was associated with what was popularly referred to as the emails scandal. Despite that scandal, Ms. Clinton stood to the pressure and insisted that she did nothing wrong. As a Democrat, the leading figures who wanted to see her investigated and arraigned in court were Republicans. However, she continued campaigning, insisting that if elected President, she would work closely with Republicans to ensure that national problems were solved and prosperity achieved. Her emphasis on the need for Republicans and Democrats to work side by side in the making of key national policies and need to build close relationships between various political, racial and religious leadership groups brings out the collaborative nature of her leadership.
Hillary focuses on including other people and finding a compromise during challenges, and it is this aspect that endeared her to the public. With this attitude, Ms. Clinton’s inclusive leadership style emerges as a benefit for her during times of conflict hence she is known as an effective conflict resolution leader. She has been hailed across the world during her tenure as the Secretary of State in President Barack Obama’s government due to her part in resolving major global conflicts.
Ms. Clinton is also a transformational leader. During her tenure as the Secretary of State, she used her position to push for women’s rights and human rights in general. Prior to her candidature, no other woman had ever run for U.S. Presidency but that did not stop her from forging her own path and future. Her role in the establishment of such charities as the Arkansas Educational Standards Committee and other charities as the Clinton Foundation bring out her desire to positively transform the society.
Furthermore, Ms. Clinton is creative and innovative as she seeks to leverage the wisdom of others in making critical decisions. Her ability to combine own potential with the input of others has seen successive presidents appoint her to key government positions which she held for long and resulted in her acquisition of global accolades.
While Ms. Clinton is not as charismatic and a great public speaker as either her husband, Bill Clinton or her previous employer, Barack Obama, she is known to be a warm and approachable leader. She has the qualities that some people associate with “feelers” that is, leaders who have a personal touch and are full of emotion. While highly emotional leaders are effective in a range of situations, their tendency to take things “personal” can adversely influence their leadership. For Ms. Clinton, her inclusive and collaborative leadership style can compromise her ability to take quick actions when necessary, an aspect that leaves her leadership style open to inquisition and her resolutions can be considered “mass decisions.” Comparing her leadership style with President Donald Trump, it is clear that the latter is a doer who would rather take a quick action and face consequences later than ask for the input of other leaders before making a decision. This perfectly brings out the democratic and consensus-building nature that embodies Ms. Clinton’s leadership approach.
Conclusively, Hillary Clinton is a leader who utilizes two key approaches in her leadership: transformation and collaboration. As pointed out in this paper, Ms. Clinton’s warm personality and her desire to include others in her leadership make it possible to positively transform the society
