Kamala Harris: The Underestimated Leader (Part 1)
Securing the Democratic presidential nomination marks an unprecedented moment in American history, which is why this week, we're celebrating Kamala Harris.
Hello, Denyse here, and a very warm welcome to We Are Mimosa, a place for women building brands which are aligned with their purpose and values, and who care about making the world a better place.
Because this is a space for championing women's leadership, the inspiration for today's newsletter is Kamala Harris who goes into this week's Democratic National Convention having secured enough delegates to win the Democratic presidential nomination, clinching her status as Donald Trump's opponent in November's presidential election.
This week, we're going to:
Learn more about Kamala Harris' remarkable journey
Explore the values that drive her leadership
Understand why she's been consistently underestimated
And consider what her rise means for women in leadership
But first, how was your week? I hope August is affording you the opportunity to recharge your batteries and enjoy the joys of summer?
Speaking of summer, my allotment has become a telling metaphor for life after an intense election season. Anyone who's run a campaign knows how it consumes every waking moment – strategy sessions that stretch into the night, endless doors to knock, countless conversations to have. After leading two back-to-back winning campaigns, I emerged victorious but discovered my beloved allotment had surrendered to an army of weeds!
Now, as I tackle my de-wilding mission, planting a lavender hedge near my fruit guild and edging it with Salvia Fairy Queen (both fast-growing pollinators with a long floriferous period), I'm reminded that both gardens and democracy need constant tending. I've even salvaged a compost bin from a departing plot neighbour – in gardening, as in politics, one person's ending can be another's beginning!
A Historic Moment
No one has had to launch a campaign from a standing start under such immense pressure and so close to election day. Yet Kamala Harris has crushed it. Her performance under these difficult circumstances has been flawless, igniting a long-dormant response within the Democratic Party unlike anything since Barack Obama emerged 15 years ago.
As someone who recently led two successful election campaigns in the UK, I'm particularly struck by Harris's ability to navigate this pressure cooker environment while maintaining both her authenticity and strategic focus. The stakes couldn't be higher – she's not just running for president; she's challenging the very barriers that have kept women, particularly women of colour, from the highest office in American politics.
The Making of Kamala Harris
Born in Oakland, California in 1964 – at a time when Black women in many southern states were still blocked from voting – Harris's story is quintessentially American while being uniquely her own. Her mother, Shyamala Gopalan, was a Tamil Indian cancer researcher who would become one of the most influential figures in Harris's life. Her father, Donald J. Harris, a Jamaican American economics professor at Stanford, brought his own intellectual rigor and commitment to social justice to their household.
Her parents met at UC Berkeley while studying for their PhDs, drawn together by their shared passion for the civil rights movement. Though they divorced when Kamala was seven, both left an indelible mark on her worldview. Her mother, in particular, shaped Harris's understanding of justice and service. "My mother would look at me and she'd say, 'Kamala, you may be the first to do many things, but make sure you're not the last,'" Harris often recalls.
Her name, Kamala Devi Harris, means "lotus" in Sanskrit – a flower that blooms above the water while its roots remain firmly planted in the river bottom. This image seems particularly apt for a leader who has maintained her core values while rising through the challenging waters of American politics.
Growing up, Harris was deeply influenced by her maternal grandparents in India, especially her grandmother, who was an informal community organizer fighting for contraception access and against domestic violence. Her grandfather, a diplomat, advocated for refugee rights. These early examples of advocacy and public service would profoundly shape Harris's future path.
Values That Drive Her
Through her words, actions, and career choices, three fundamental values emerge as the cornerstones of Harris's leadership:
Justice: Harris's commitment to justice runs deep, influenced by both her parents' involvement in the civil rights movement and her grandmother's grassroots activism. This value led her to pursue a career in law, first as a prosecutor in Alameda County, where she specialised in child sexual assault cases. "The job of a prosecutor," she has said, "is to seek justice, not just to convict."
Fairness: Her dedication to fairness manifested early in her career when she created innovative programs like "Back on Track," giving first-time drug offenders the chance to earn a high school diploma and find employment instead of serving prison time. This commitment to equitable treatment has remained constant throughout her career, from her time as District Attorney of San Francisco to her role as California's Attorney General.
Service: The ethic of service, instilled by her mother's career in medical research and her grandparents' public service, has guided Harris's approach to leadership. She views public service not as a career choice but as a calling, often saying, "Work not for yourself, but for something greater than yourself."
An Impressive Track Record
Harris's career trajectory has been marked by consistent achievement and groundbreaking firsts. After graduating from Howard University and earning her law degree from University of California, Hastings, she embarked on a career that would repeatedly shatter glass ceilings:
First woman District Attorney of San Francisco (2004)
First woman Attorney General of California (2011)
First Indian American in the U.S. Senate (2017)
First woman, first Black person, and first person of South Asian descent to serve as Vice President (2021)
In each role, she's demonstrated a remarkable ability to build coalitions, tackle complex challenges, and deliver results. As Attorney General, she secured a $20 billion settlement for California homeowners hit by the foreclosure crisis. In the Senate, she gained national attention for her incisive questioning during crucial hearings and her leadership on issues ranging from criminal justice reform to maternal health.
The Authority Gap: Why Has She Been So Underestimated?
Despite this impressive track record, Harris has consistently been underestimated since she became Vice President. This phenomenon, as Mary Ann Sieghart explains in "The Authority Gap," isn't unique to Harris but reflects a broader pattern facing women in leadership positions.
The authority gap manifests in various ways:
Women leaders must repeatedly prove their competence
Their authority is more frequently questioned
Their achievements are often attributed to luck or external factors rather than skill
They face higher standards and harsher criticism than their male counterparts
For Harris, this gap is compounded by being both a woman and a person of colour. As Booker Prize-winning novelist Bernardine Evaristo notes in Sieghart's book, even the most accomplished women of colour often have to fight to have their authority recognised.
Yet Harris has turned these challenges into strengths. Like many women leaders before her, she's had to develop a leadership style that's both effective and authentic – what Jim Collins, in his seminal work "Good to Great," identifies as Level 5 leadership. Collins, one of the most influential thinkers in modern business, discovered through extensive research that the most transformative leaders combine personal humility with unwavering professional will. These leaders - like Harris - focus on building enduring greatness through paradoxical combinations of personal modesty and professional resolve.
Looking Ahead
As Harris prepares for her convention speech, she stands at a historic crossroads. She's already broken numerous barriers, but the highest glass ceiling still remains. Her journey reminds us that leadership isn't just about individual achievement – it's about creating paths for others to follow.
In Part 2 of this series - to be published shortly before the election - we'll analyse Harris's leadership style in detail, examining how her approach might reshape our understanding of presidential leadership.
Over to you
What aspects of Harris's leadership journey resonate most with you? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
And if you want to support Harris’ campaign, I recommend you subscribe to Shannon Watts’ Substack where you’ll find information about the weekly “Women Wednesdays for Harris” calls she co-hosts.
If you enjoyed this piece, please take a moment to "❤️" it and share it with other women who might benefit.
Until next time, have a great week.
Denyse
References
The Truths We Hold: An American Journey by Kamala Harris
The Authority Gap by Mary Ann Sieghart
About me
If you’re new to my work, it might be helpful if I explain who I am and what I do!
I’m Denyse Whillier, a former Chief Executive with more than 25 years of business experience under my favourite Sézane belt. I upcycle my skills and experience to provide business mentoring and strategic support, reimagined for female founded businesses.
My mission is simple. It’s to make it easier for women to build thriving brands which are aligned with their purpose and values and to close the gender gap in entrepreneurship, one female founder at a time.
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