Big Campaign Energy: Lessons in Igniting Enthusiasm, Fostering Commitment, and Driving Change

Regardless of which side of the aisle you’re on, you can’t deny the surge of excitement and support across the country in the past week, since Kamala Harris announced Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. Last week, we explored valuable leadership lessons gleaned from the campaign trail. Today, let’s shift focus to key strategies emerging from the campaign's unfolding. These strategies can help you inspire enthusiasm, build commitment, and drive impactful change within your organization.

Foster Inclusive Spaces and Collective Vision Everyone Wants to Be Part of

At the numerous packed rallies across the country, Harris and Walz have created environments where everyone feels safe, heard, and included. For instance, Harris acknowledged protesters and briefly addressed their concerns before proceeding with her speech. Similarly, we can foster inclusivity in our organizations by collecting and addressing feedback in real-time during public forums such as Town Halls and company-wide communications. Harris and Walz effectively use inclusive language—terms like "we," "neighbors," and "fellow citizens"—to bridge divisions and foster a sense of unity. We can adopt a similar approach by promoting a "One-Firm" mentality in our organizations. This involves breaking down silos and ensuring that every team member feels essential to our shared vision and mission.

Show Genuine Appreciation

Walz often starts his speeches by acknowledging the audience’s efforts and expressing gratitude for their sacrifices, such as arranging childcare or waiting in long lines in the heat to attend the event. This recognition demonstrates empathy, helping attendees feel valued, energized, and more committed. Similarly, senior leaders, managers, and team members can adopt this approach by acknowledging and rewarding colleagues both publicly and privately. Such recognition not only provides a psychological boost but also reinforces their value and shows genuine appreciation for their efforts.

Foster Interdependence to Build Purpose and Motivation

The Harris-Walz campaign offers a powerful example of framing messages to galvanize support for change. By incorporating Dr. David Burkus ' insights on interdependence, which outline strategic "frames" or "fights" that leaders can use, we can effectively inspire and drive change.

• Revolution Against the Status Quo: This frame positions the change as a revolutionary act against the current system. For example, the Harris campaign frames its efforts as a defense against threats to fundamental freedoms, mobilizing supporters around a shared cause and challenging the status quo.
• Underdog Fight: By embracing their role as the underdog, the Harris campaign taps into the emotional appeal of overcoming adversity. This approach underscores the importance of each individual's contribution, fostering a sense of unity and collective purpose as supporters rally to help the underdog prevail.
• The Ally Fight: This perspective emphasizes serving key stakeholders, such as customers, rather than focusing solely on metrics like revenue. Most organizations can easily adopt this approach. For example, a technology company might position a new customer support platform as a mission to enhance the lives of its users, showcasing the collaborative effort across departments. This strategy fosters unity and mutual support, transforming the change into a shared mission that highlights the collective impact on customers and enhances the company’s reputation.

Leverage Joy, Humor, and Optimism to Energize and Prevent Burnout

The joy, humor, and optimism radiated by Harris and Walz are contagious! Their approach not only stirs genuine emotion and makes us “want whatever they’re having”, but it also instills a sense of possibility that many lacked just a month ago. It’s important to recognize that their message isn’t simply "Don’t worry, be happy." They acknowledge the significant work ahead and emphasize that their strategy isn't about minimizing seriousness or effort. Rather, it’s about approaching the work with energy and motivation to tackle even the toughest challenges. Joy and optimism enhance focus and resilience, acting as a buffer against negativity and divisiveness. This shift helps people move beyond fear-driven responses that hinder collaboration and contribute to burnout, fostering a more inclusive, innovative, and solution-oriented mindset. Leaders, take a page from this book and start finding ways to embody more joy, humor, and optimism. Doing so will enhance your own well-being and foster a workplace culture that energizes employees, promotes collaboration, and drives innovation.

Segment Messaging and Provide a Clear Call to Action

Beyond the broad messaging shared at their large rallies, the Harris campaign has also delivered targeted messages to specific groups, such as sororities, teachers' unions, and autoworkers' unions. They've organized Zoom calls like "Win with Black Women," "White Dudes for Kamala," and "White Women for Kamala" to facilitate more specific discussions. Across all these efforts, there's a clear call to action: "Use your voice," "Help register voters," or "Consider donating to our campaign." Similarly, in our organizations, we can complement overall messaging by incorporating tailored communications for smaller, segmented groups. These tailored messages should connect the broader themes to each group’s unique perspectives and concerns, and include a call to action that encourages active participation in our mission. This strategy ensures that every segment feels valued and understands how they fit into the overarching big picture.

How are you harnessing the power of big campaign energy to create transformative change?