Nikki R. Haley - If You Want Something Done: Leadership Lessons from Bold Women

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To my mom, who taught me how to dream, how to fight, how to love, but most importantly how to live with a faith in God that would get me through anything.

To my daughter, Rena, who gives me hope and inspiration that she is an example of the many amazing women whose stories have yet to be told.

To my sisters, my friends, my heroes, and the women I have yet to meet, it is an honor to share these stories with you.

People matter. Their stories matter.

I decided to write this book because there are incredible women who inspired me throughout my life, and I want other people to be inspired, too. This book is about ten bold and courageous women with ten important lessons to teach us. Of course, they are not the only ten. I chose them because their stories spoke to me, and I found their lessons to be particularly relevant.

Many of these women faced daunting struggles and responsibilities. I talk about my own experiences not to compare but to explain how great leaders can make a difference in our daily lives. From the big decisions to the everyday choices we make, I hope these stories give you the courage to live the life you want and deserve.

Some of the women are living; some come from different historical eras. Some are well known and some less so. Some come from the political realm, and others come from the worlds of athletics and innovation. Some chose their paths in life, and some found themselves, by no choice of their own, facing terrifying choices. They all share something in common that spans time and geographythey embody the qualities that make great leaders. Tenacity. Perseverance. Service. Decisiveness. Courage. Strength. They made and continue to make an impact on the world. They inspire us, make us want to work harder, be better, do more. Their legacies are not confined to their small or large corner of the universe. Their stories can touch all of us.

Some choices were obvious. In the political realm, Margaret Thatcher has always been a personal hero who inspired me as I ventured into government. Jeane Kirkpatrick was the first female U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a position I later held. When I came to learn about Golda Meir, one of Israels founding leaders and its first female prime minister, her story resonated with me, having served as South Carolinas first female executive.

In the human rights realm, I had the privilege of working with Nadia Murad and Cindy Warmbier at the United Nations. They both endured horrible tragedies and showed incredible strength. In the struggle for civil rights, Claudette Colvin and Virginia Walden Ford represent the progress we have made as a country and the ongoing battle to continue that progress.

Finally, Wilma Rudolph, Virginia Hall, and Amelia Earhart were leaders who reached the top of their respective fields. They lived at times when there were low expectations of women professionally, yet they became world class in athletics, espionage, and aviation. They showed the world what is possible when you refuse to give up on your dreams, when you refuse to let adversity define you.

Many of the women in this book were firsts. The first to be prime minister. The first to take a stand. The first to fly. Being the first is hard. It can be lonely and isolating. There is no road map, and people assume something is impossible simply because it hasnt been done before. These women are leaders because they paved the way for the women who came after them. We walk in their footsteps and leave a well-trodden path for the women who come after us.

As you read these pages, remember we have the potential to make life better for others. In our own small way, we can inspire, mentor, and encourage other women to do great things. So, dont hold back. Dont be silent. Dont give in to fear.

Be bold. Be adventurous. Be yourself. There will always be people who want to tell you what you can do and what you cant. What is possible and what is not. I know because I have encountered those people throughout my life. Some of them were well meaning. But all of them wanted to limit my potential. Your potential is limitless. Your lifethe life you wantis worth fighting for.

So, fight.

Its easy to talk about principles. Its hard to stand by them when everyone is lined up against you. No one embodied this truth better than Margaret Thatcher, Britains first female prime minister. She wanted to save Great Britain, and she knew it would be difficult. That didnt stop her. That was a reason to forge ahead. Thats why shes always been an inspiration to me. And thats why I borrowed a version of her famous quote for the title of this book.

If you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman. Margaret Thatcher didnt want to become prime minister to sit around and talk. She wanted to do things. Big things. Important things. This determination in the face of opposition defines many of thewomen in this book. It was how my mother raised usto confront problems head-on and find solutions. And it struck a chord with me as I sought to leave my mark on South Carolina.

I ran for office to make a difference. Ive always believed the best way to appreciate Gods blessings is to give back. But to really work to lift up everyone and make lives better, you have to be willing to shake things up.

The bestor worstexample of this was my fight against the practice of holding voice votes and not showing individual votes on the record in the South Carolina state legislature. If you wanted to see how your legislator voted on an important billlike voting for a pay increase for themselvesyou couldnt look it up. There was no record. There was no transparency and no way to hold legislators accountable. It was embarrassing, and it had to stop.

I wrote a bill that would require a roll call vote on any legislation that spent or raised taxpayer money. Only one other legislator wanted to sponsor the bill. At a Republican meeting, the Speaker of the House attacked me for daring to challenge how the legislature had long operated. He actually said they would decide what voters needed to see and what they didnt.

I was appalled and frustrated. I knew the people of South Carolina would agree with me if they knew what was happening, so I took the fight to them. I traveledaround the state urging voters to call their legislators and tell them to support my bill that simply stated anything important enough to be debated on the floor of the House or Senate should require a legislative vote on the record. This made my Republican leaders furiousso furious that the Speaker stripped me of all my positions. He wanted to make an example of me, as if to say, This is what happens when you challenge the establishment.

If that was supposed to dissuade me, it failed. His retaliation only made me want to succeed more. I went to the press and told my side of the story. This fight coincided with the rise of the Tea Party movement, and thousands of people all across South Carolina joined the fight for accountability.