The political scene these days has been spicy, even after the election. One of an interesting young player, I think, has been Meghan McCain, John McCain's Twittering daughter. From the beginning, she has shown herself to be intelligent, assertive, quick on her feet, and firm about her beliefs. But, as a young Republican, it seems that she has ideas for the party that pull her and those of her age group in a new direction. She commented on this and more in her great interview with Stephen Colbert last night.
Growing up in the spotlight with two powerful parents, it's no surprise that she seems to know her way around political jargon and policies. However, she has admitted that her New Age Republican ideas tend to be more Liberal than traditional Republican: she is "pro-sex" as she put it, for gay marriage, and has no problem telling people so. As a Republican, she says she wants the government to interfere as little as possible. Regardless of whether or not we agree with her views, I'm curious to see whether she will indeed lead a trend of new Republicans in this direction, as it seems many people agree with her with 37,000+ followers on her Twitter account.
Here are some positive characteristics that exemplify her great leadership in this interview:
1) Keep it positive: She doesn't bad-mouth people who disagree with her. A good leader doesn't throw dirt on her adversary but rather strengthens her own reputation. In her interview, she is asked about Sarah Palin and her daughter and, instead of saying anything negative about the person, she instead highlighted her own view of sex education for teenagers. She could have easily said she disagreed with the "abstinence tours" and left it at that, but instead she refocused the attention on what she felt was right, not on what she felt was wrong.
2) Connect through honesty: politicians tend to be seen as flip-floppers, smooth-talkers and quick with rehearsed rhetoric. Meghan McCain was articulate and firm with her answers, and had no problem saying the words "No comment" if there was an area she did not want to discuss. Her candor - at times too honest, made her worried about whether her father would be watching on television: you see what you get.
3) She is true to herself: it's no secret she disagrees with her father on a number of important issues, and she doesn't mind being upfront about her disagreements. However, she maintains a level of respect and courtesy when discussing issues that allows everyone to speak freely and feel heard.
What are your thoughts? Any comments about how the new generation of women leaders will impact on the workplace? Do you feel there will be any gender differences with the new generations? Do you believe positive leadership traits will be the same for both genders?
