Bill Clinton on Leadership at LEAD 2015

By Juliana Trichilo Cina on May 4, 2015. Reposted from Archive.

Presidential. Leadership.

It seemed appropriate that Bill Clinton would make an entrance unlike the other speakers. At Lead 2015 in Dallas, Texas, when it was time for the former President of the United States to take the stage, we waited for over 30 minutes to hear that he would be there soon. Finally, the introduction we were all waiting for… and again, nothing. At long last, William Jefferson Clinton, took the stage.

He was unaffected by his delay. There was no self-consciousness as he laughed about his obliviousness to the schedule. He merely apologized and moved on to deliver a high value speaking session. Even though we had been waiting, I wasn’t irritated, I was amused. And Clinton handled the delay with poise.


Talent. Insight.

There was a very strong list of speakers at LEAD 2015. The conference boasted that it was a “platform to change the world by inspiring individuals, communities, organizations and governments to choose education, collaboration and ethical leadership instead of ignorance, indifference and violence.” And with a strong list of talented, insightful, and respected professionals in a variety of sectors on the docket, we were actively challenged to think differently about leadership. Each speaker was there to share their insights about effective and inspiring leadership. We heard again and again about how leadership is more about serving than leading. Leadership is about inspiring community, not followers. Bill Clinton underscored these themes in a unique way.


Burden. Progress.

President Clinton talked with passion and purpose about the values of expression and inclusion as imperatives for true leadership. In stark contrast to what Clinton espoused, I have seen most leaders keep information from their teams, reserving delicate data so as not to burden those who need not own the decision making process. Clinton employed a different approach altogether.

The former President had endless stories to prove how sharing the “burden” of leadership enabled others to look past their objections and do what was right for the whole. Rather than being voices of dissention, when in the decision-making chair, people began to see and embrace reasons for agreement. When decision-making was not just shared but given to others, it was refreshing to see the results.


Sharing. Wielding.

Clinton told mesmerizing tales including a casual phone call with Nelson Mandela and a monumental land agreement signing with Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat. What Clinton demonstrated with each story was that leadership was more about sharing authority than wielding it. Clinton shared four key principles of leadership that will always stay with me:

Vision – Every leader must have a vision they believe in authentically.

Explanation – Explain the details to all. Explanation beats eloquence every time.

Inclusion – Inclusion and transparency inspire respect and trust.

Execution – Execution matters. People don’t mind if you make mistakes, but they care how you handle it and treat others in the process.


Scorecard. Well-Being.

If, as Clinton espoused, leadership is defined by how you keep score, his premise of a people-centred scorecard makes a great deal of sense. After all, even one of the most popular Presidents of the United States cannot lead forever. Leadership is a baton that must be passed. If that is true, community matters. A leadership model driven by vision, explanation, inclusion and execution creates leaders. And what Clinton’s talk underscored for me was how little the leader mattered. It is the process of empowering others that makes a great leader. But the trick seems to require little ego, or at least an ego that gets its value from the well-being of the whole, rather than the aggrandisement of the few.


Deference. Transparency.

The attendees of our local Simulcast of Lead 2015 were important members of our community, so I felt badly for the long delay awaiting the presidential keynote speaker. And even though he was important enough to draw a crowd and keep them waiting patiently, he never came across as better than anyone. He appeared genuinely appreciative of the privilege to share his insights and the opportunity to amass such life experience. Bill Clinton didn’t make me want to follow him. He made me want to be him—a leader that deserves trust because my vision is centred on others, deference because I listen first and explain with transparency, respect because my decisions are inclusive of all stakeholders, and support because I execute the entire process with authenticity and purpose. I want to be a leader whose failures are still a success because I inspire future leaders and safeguard against communication breakdown. Clinton made me more afraid of disengaging than failure. In a short hour, I think he made me a better leader.



by Juliana Trichilo Cina

Juliana Trichilo Cina I’m an academic at heart with a love for the practical. My time at the University of Toronto and Queens University were some of the best years of my life. Today, I am deeply involved with my work, family, friends, and insatiable need to learn. While my love for tradition runs deep, as a first generation Canadian, I am eager to usher in new ways of thinking. I love communications, gardening, technology, and folk music—I was once called a bundle of contradictions and I couldn’t agree more.

I’m a daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend, reader, animal lover, and wannabe comedian. I live in Toronto with my husband, son, and pet rabbit.





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