Written by: Vickie Sullivan  |  October 22, 2024

Lessons in Leadership: How Harris Introduced a New Direction

Controversial political example ahead: When President Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race, Vice President Kamala Harris became the immediate front-runner in the race for leadership. Within a few weeks, she had the nomination wrapped up. To call that unprecedented is an understatement.

Harris’s biggest leadership challenge: how to take credit for the administration’s achievements while advocating a new direction. She had to escape President Biden’s shadow without offending his supporters.

She didn’t follow the standard change initiative rollout of leading with similarities and policy specifics. Instead, Harris brought new excitement to her leadership with the following two approaches that you can also apply when you want to change direction:

• Start with the vibes. By changing the tone, Harris signaled that her campaign is going in a new direction. This allowed people to like her first, which is a great context for policy discussions later. How you can apply this: Create an overall theme first, then showcase the details.

• Be a striking alternative to the opposition. Harris’s tone and her focus on moving forward were a sharp contrast not only to Biden but also to the Republican party. This appealed to the group least excited about Biden (younger voters) and anyone unhappy with both Biden and Republican candidate Donald Trump. She forced Trump’s team to play defense to their criticisms against Biden. How you can apply this: Make it clear you are nothing like the alternative.

When big changes come, it’s tempting to preempt backlash by making the new direction appear incremental. After all, disruption looks big and scary. The price you pay for that safety, however, is less momentum. Sometimes, shaking things up works.

Listen: 2 Things That Generate Excitement for Something New 

Now Read This:

• The Rise of My Stanley: A Marketing Masterclass in Brand Resonance
• Brand and Message Strategy for Thought Leaders

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.