As the US Presidential election starts to warm up with George Bush leaving office in just under a year, all eyes have turned to the frenzy of the Iowa and New Hampshire votes and the race between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton as the Democratic candidates.Everyone is talking about change, hope, foreign policy, race and reputation but nobody is mentioning leadership.
And this just makes me wonder if Hillary is set to make the same mistakes as Gordon Brown.
She has consistently been playing the experience card; directly appealing to the core voters with the view that she is a seasoned pro and a safe pair of hands. Brown did the same and having been brought to power on this remit has found there is no place to hide when things go wrong.
In business we’ve known for some time that it is no longer about length of service but about talent.
Hillary is playing a dangerous game by suggesting that Barack has not been around long enough to be any good.
Who wants to hear that anymore? It is exactly this risk-adverse, safe option that leads to old fashioned, status-driven organisations and stifled governments. The US needs a leader that is strong, inspirational and has the ability to get huge swathes of people to follow their vision.
I’m surprised and disappointed by Hillary Clinton’s approach to these elections so far; she has so much more to offer as a politician.
What she has failed to do is spot talent herself. Just because Barack is young does not mean he is not capable - freshness and vibrancy can be as equally compelling as experience.
Gordon Brown led us all to believe that having been Chancellor for such a long period of time meant he was well equipped to deal with the number one position. But, the two roles are very different and what he has shown us is that a successful Chancellor must manage but a successful Prime Minister must lead.
Let’s hope for a far more open leadership competition than we had here in the UK; one that will focus more on what needs to be done rather than what has already been done.
Our world is moving so quickly that experience can be both an asset and a liability. The ability to learn and adapt to a fast changing landscape is just as important but the real attribute the USA needs now is inspiring and inclusive leadership.
