Introduction
Leadership is a crucial part of every society, influenced by personal attitudes, traits, and experiences. Leadership is demonstrated at various levels, with each level requiring a set quality of leadership. Some leaders are shaped by their experiences from childhood, relationships, and personal ambitions. It is also possible to find great leaders without prior leadership experience, as shown by Daft (2018), through the account of Abraham Lincoln. In this paper, the account of Hillary Clinton is presented with a focus on her biography, leadership traits, and lessons learned from her leadership.
Background
Hillary Clinton’s rise to leadership can be described as that which was shaped by upbringing, environment, personal interest, and to a greater extent, relationship. Hillary Rodham Clinton was born on 26th October 1947 in Chicago, Illinois (Anderson, 2017). Her father, a committed Republican, owned a textile farm in Park Ridge that provided the family with a stable income. Her family upheld high standards for academic excellence and hard work in general life. These values proved useful to her life and enabled her to rise to the political ladder, as shown herein.
She was involved in youth activities at the First United Methodist Church and was a student leader in public schools. She eventually became affiliated with liberal issues, but she was a member of her parents’ Republican Party at the time. In 1964, she headed the local branch of the Young Republicans and campaigned for Barry Goldwater, who was running for presidency under the Republican Party. According to Anderson (2017), her political beliefs began to shift after she enrolled at Wellesley College a year later. Following the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr., she decided to join the Democratic Party and campaigned for antiwar candidate Eugene McCarthy.
Hillary joined Yale Law School after graduating from Wellesley in 1969. There, she was influenced by Yale alumni Marian Wright Edelman, a lawyer and children’s rights champion. She developed a deep interest in family law and issues impacting children as a result of her work with Edelman. Hillary took part in the Watergate investigation examining President Richard M. Nixon’s potential impeachment in 1974(Anderson, 2017). She relocated to Arkansas after Nixon’s resignation in August 1974, when her tenure ended. She taught at the University of Arkansas School of Law before joining the prestigious Rose Law Firm located in Little Rock, Arkansas, after her marriage to Bill Clinton in 1975. Bill became the governor of Arkansas in 1978, a position that Hillary helped secure and maintained.
During Bill’s leadership terms, Hillary invested her efforts in children’s support programs and helping disadvantaged persons in society. She also kept pace with her law career, becoming a renowned professional lawyer. The national law journal termed her among the top hundred most influential lawyers (Anderson, 2017). Her leadership abilities were demonstrated by her efforts in founding the Arkansas advocates for the interests of children and families, a role that led to her recognition as Arkansas woman of the year. During Bill’s presidential campaign, she gave speeches, mobilized voters, and served as Bill’s chief advisor.
Hillary made history in 1999 by contesting for New York’s senator seat. She won the election and used her position to push for health reforms while still serving as an advocate for children. Following her outstanding performance in her first term, she was re-elected to office in 2006, after which she announced her bid to run for the presidency in 2008 (Anderson, 2017). After losing the 2008 election to President Obama, she tried her luck again in 2016, running against Donald Trump. In summary, Hillary’s account shows a woman who used her skills and experience to advance good leadership in whatever capacity she served. Although she lost both presidential elections, her resolve and determination bespeak her excellent leadership qualities.
Leadership Style
A leader is made by her conduct, beliefs, and perspectives that define her relationship with the public. The class text highlighted numerous leadership traits that can be used to evaluate every leader’s style (Daft, 2018). Hillary’s servant leadership style is described by her resilience, motivation, and sacrifices through her activities in the interest of humanity, especially the disadvantages. She proved that a leader is not made by successful events only but also by the presentation of challenges and limitations.
Accomplishments and Challenges
Even though her biggest project, the Clinton healthcare plan, failed, it laid the framework for the current healthcare law, the Affordable Care Act. She was also a driving force behind the establishment of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, which gives state assistance to children whose parents are unable to provide them with health insurance. She advocated for universal immunization against childhood diseases. She was also instrumental in the passage of the Adoption, and Safe Families Act as well as the Foster Care Independence Act (Anderson, 2017). Her main challenge was the accusations made against her regarding the use of private email servers, her husband’s sex scandal, and the scrutiny following her conduct as the chief of security.
Leadership Power and Influence
Leadership bestows power on a person, giving them the ability to influence others. Daft (2018) remarks that influence is a consequence of leadership power. The type of influence a leader has over the people determines their value system. In this case, Hillary Clinton’s most crucial leadership trait is the power and influence she had over the public and other political leaders. It is important to note that power precedes influence; one must have power so that one can influence other people’s decisions and behavior. Hillary got political power from her training as a lawyer, her experience when working with renowned law firms, her marriage to President Bill Clinton, and her election into the senate.
Hillary had a deep desire to shift peoples’ perspectives on children and the disadvantaged throughout her career. During her husband’s leadership terms in the senate and presidency, Hillary worked on helping the underprivileged and children as an advocate. She used her power to influence other people to value and support children and the lowly in society. Her influence was so significant that she got the title “Arkansas woman of the year” (Anderson, 2017). She did not focus on personal gain but rather on the improvement of living conditions for the people who needed her advocacy and help, demonstrating her excellent leadership traits. Leadership power and influence led to her success in the political field as she managed to convince people to vote for Bill and later garnered enough votes to take the New York senate seat.
Leading Change
Change is a constant need in society, with every leader being expected to use their position to implement changes. According to Daft (2018), a leader should be at the frontline of change. Hillary Clinton is remembered as a politician who was always at the forefront of fighting for reforms and changes that have made America a better place for all its citizens. Her decision to campaign for the New York senate seat reflects a change from the male-domination in politics to inclusion and diversity. She became the first woman to win an elective position in the U. S.
In her position as senator, Hillary implemented a significant change in the health sector. Her election came at a time when Americans were grappling with huge medical bills, the cost of treatment being unbearable to low-income earners. She continued fighting for health reforms, a campaign that she had started during Bill’s administration (Anderson, 2017). Her contribution to health care reforms culminated in the development of the health care bill. This stands out as one of her most significant accomplishments throughout her leadership.
Conclusion
Leadership is a combination of personal beliefs, attitudes, actions, and styles that define a person’s role and influence in society. A leader has a series of successes and failures, which are used to define their position. In the case of Hillary Clinton, leadership entailed sacrifices for the greater good of the community. She invested heavily in health care and advocacy for children and the disadvantaged throughout her tenure as the first lady and later as a senator. Her efforts led to the establishment of Obamacare and the establishment of advocate solutions for the lowly in society. She failed multiple times and was implicated in various scandals. However, she kept her head high in all situations and was not ready to give up on a good fight. Although she lost presidential elections twice, she made history by becoming the first woman in an elective post. Her main leadership styles entailed power, influence, and leading change, which have kept her name as one of the most influential leaders in history.
References
Anderson, K. V. (2017). Presidential pioneer or campaign queen? Hillary Clinton and the first-timer/frontrunner double bind. Rhetoric and Public Affairs, 20(3), 525–538.
Daft, R. L. (2018. The leadership experience (7th ed). Cengage Learning.