Vice President-elect Kamala Harris sets many inspiring examples as a history-making politician. Quite notably, as San Francisco’s District Attorney and California’s Attorney General, then as her home state’s senator, and now as the first Black woman and first Asian American vice president-elect, her life and career is a case study in change.

I’ve rounded up some of her most notable, thought-provoking, and inspiring quotes as they reflect principles and best practices of change management.

The reality that meaningful change requires a thoughtful process
“To change criminal justice policy in any meaningful way means to propose changing a very longstanding system. It’s not realistic to think you can do it overnight.”

The principle of assessing the scope and impact of a change with empathy
“I often advocate that we look at many sides of an issue, walk in someone else’s shoes, and identify and reject false choices.”

“You have to see and smell and feel the circumstances of people to really understand them.”

The importance of communicating early, and often
“I always start my campaigns early, and I run hard. Maybe it comes from the rough-and-tumble world of San Francisco politics, where it’s not even a contact sport – it’s a blood sport. This is how I am as a candidate. This is how I run campaigns.”

Effective sponsors of change are active and visible, they build coalitions of support and communicate directly
“We’re experiencing a moral reckoning with racism and systemic injustice that has brought a new coalition of conscience to the streets of our country demanding change.”

“Anyone who claims to be a leader must speak like a leader. That means speaking with integrity and truth”

Effective sponsors take a decisive action at the right time
“I have been trained, and my experience over decades, is to make decisions after a review of the evidence and the facts. And not to jump up with grand gestures before I’ve done that. Some might interpret that as being cautious. I would tell you that’s just responsible.”

 The importance of diversity, inclusion and the voice of change champions
“You’re going to walk into many rooms in your life and career where you may be the only one who looks like you or who has had the experiences you’ve had. But you remember that when you are in those rooms, you are not alone. We are all in that room with you applauding you on. Cheering your voice. And just so proud of you. So you use that voice and be strong.”

Managing resistance and conflict by realigning the focus on common goals
“Our unity is our strength, and our diversity is our power. We reject the myth of “us” vs. “them. We are in this together.”

Thanks for reading! If you’re new to change management, or just would like to learn more about me and my journey, start here.