Happy women’s day!
A time to reflect on women who have made a difference in our lives.
I have many women role models including my mother Prafulla, Mother Teresa, India’s finance minister Nirmala Seetharaman, my indirect mentor Dorie Clark and more recently Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s prime minister.
I am an advocate of a compassionate, empathetic, humane style of leadership. Ardern’s leadership during the toughest of times touched my heart. She repeatedly demonstrated how courage and compassion can go hand in hand and led New Zealand through three tumultuous years in which it endured its worst-ever terror attack, a deadly volcano eruption and a global pandemic that tested leaders around the globe. Following the deadly christchurch mosque attacks, she not only showed compassion by comforting those who had lost their loved ones but took action by bringing a change to the country’s gun laws, banning the sale of all semi-automatic weapons and assault rifles and offered financial assistance to the victims families. A newspaper reported ‘This is what a leader looks like.’
This is empathic concern, empathy where you not only feel and understand the other person but show care and compassion by taking positive action.
Jacinda Ardern told BBC News..
She has inspired me, fueled me to be strong and kind. I remember her words ‘Be strong, be kind‘ when I have to stand up for what I believe in.
What about you?
Who are your role models who helped you the most, to become who are and directly or indirectly get to where you are.
Who would you remember when you say ‘I am who I am because of .. , I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for .. ‘
Now pick up one of them and remember the moment in which you learnt something important or something shifted for you – What did that person say or do?
How do you feel when you recollect that moment with that person – What words or phrases come to mind?
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