Reflections on Leadership

When my sisters and I get together in the kitchen, each one of us wants to lead.  We are three strong women, confident and vocal.   We laugh at ourselves and at each other for being bossy.  We’ve been at this for over 50 years.  There is a vast difference between being bossy and being a leader, but coming from a family of independent, high-spirited women, I’ve been blessed to see a variety leadership styles.  In birth order, I’m the middle child: conflict-averse, a peace-maker, always looking for connection and resolution.

Each one of us has our own leadership style.  Mahatma Ghandi and Nelson Mandela are two leaders I have always admired.  Ghandi said, “I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people.”   

There were times in the corporate world when I experienced the mentorship of a strong, visionary leader.  It made my work life rich and rewarding.  In those situations, I challenged and stretched myself, and experienced professional and personal satisfaction.  But there were also those in the hierarchy who puffed themselves out and intimidated those around them.  They utilized a technique of putting others off-balance.   Unfortunately, they were effectively climbing the corporate ladder, through intimidation.  I can still recall the cold, rigid, contrived atmosphere surrounding that leadership style.

Nelson Mandela said, “It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.”    He certainly had the courage to be out front in the midst of danger and adversity.  He paid dearly, but ultimately led his country to a better day.  He promoted those around him, so that they could bask in the successes he helped to create.  His satisfaction came, not from what others said about him, but rather from the manifestation of a vision.

Learning leadership skills is part of a lifelong curriculum.  We all wear a leadership hat, whether at home, in our careers or in our volunteer activities.   Each of the women I have come to know in BPW is a leader with her own style and her own set of strengths.

I think leadership begins with a vision:  seeing a better world and seeing our connections, being inspired by each other’s successes and being motivated to help each other to soar.   It is my hope that as we learn together this year, we aspire to a shared vision of growth, development and sisterhood.