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| https://www.google.com.ph/url?source=imagesharvardmagazine.com |
guide and directs them in the achievement of a specific purpose.
For some, there are born leaders, others would say leaders are made
and still others, leaders earn their title. Christine Lagarde may be
ascribed all of it but basically, she earned her success through hard work and perseverance.
Christine Lagarde is a kind of woman whose life impressed me as a very strong willed and principled person. I first saw and listened to her during an
interviewed on CNN by Correspondent Richard Quest regarding her view about a bestseller book she was reading. It was not until a fortnight ago when she was featured by CNN on its program Leading Women.
LEADING WOMEN is my favorite program because it links me to
women who are making marks in the world. Their stories to climb up to the top,
sustain their presence in the midst of challenges of gender
issues and criticism that does not discourage them, but gives them the
urge to persevere is tremendously inspiring.
In that late night interview hosted by CNN Correspondent
Gabriela Frias, I listened attentively to Christine Lagarde with the
greatest admiration for a French woman who pushed her way forward
and climbed to the top in 2011 as the first female Managing Director
of the world’s single biggest bank, the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) establishment 70 years ago. She has been performing her task
with great confidence especially during the crucial scandals and financial
crisis era of IMF. So she honors women as having the gift to sort out mess
and put things aright. That is what she hasbeen trying to do
and from her sharing, she has been doing it all in favor of women.
When asked about the significant of her role as the first female leader
of IMF and as I would imagine, the only female presence heading and
chairing a male dominated advisory board, she said: “That's the reason
why I think I want to do a good job, because I don't want to let my
female colleagues around the globe down. I don't want them to turn
around to me and say, you know, ‘why did you make a mess out of
it?’ So I feel an added burden and an added responsibility as a result
of that.”
Yes, I share this fear with her very much. It is the kind of blame
game that any pioneer would avoid. As the pioneer African Sister
in my congregation I am wary of people blaming me in the future
for my wrong decisions and actions. For Christine Legarde who is up
at the very top, she sees her pioneering role as both “hard and an
opportunity”. she is challenged to leave a powerful and inspiring legacy
of strength and hope for all women in the world especially where they
encounter all forms of abuses and challenges of womanhood.
As a woman and a mother, Christine is very much conscious of the
challenges women face and love to interact with them especially
when she visits other countries listening to their stories which
otherwise they will not share in the presence of men. As her way of
knowing what is happening in reality on ground when she visits places,
she does not isolate herself with only theministers, leaders and
influential people but goes out to verify the truth.This in my opinion
is the mark of a true leader who has experienced reality and remains
in touch with it.
Christine as I assess her confident with herself and has build firmly
her inner strength to be able to cope with stress and move on.
Hence, her advice for women in distress is to get over failures, take
the lesson from it and move on. She encourages women to strive
to persevere and so she said, "I hope that there will be plenty of
other female paintings," Lagarde says. "I feel even worse when I look
around the table unfortunately, because there's only one female
executive director out of 24 around the table."
Christine’s difficult background after the death of her father when
she was a young teenager imbued in her some powerful principles.
According to her if a person want to achieve, three things are
necessary: Hardwork, Study and Learn.The caution there is not to be
guided by one’s ambition to progress but To learn from others and be
humble. The most interesting part of the interview was her experience
as a lady applying for a job at a law firm and was told she was a
good recruit and would be given a good job but she should never expect to
be in partnership because she was a woman. Feeling discriminated
against, she walked out wondering how effective she can be in such a
firm and she felt so free.
Christine Lagarde is doing very well in her role and no wonder Forbes
rated her as the 5th most powerful woman in the world.She is a
born leader I guess being “the first” in many leading positions.
She is wealthy but simple - a virtue that most wealthy and
influential women in our developing society needs to emulate.
Christine even though described as powerful, walksto work and feels
that it is for her the nice and best part of the day. This is what
I call simple lifestyle of an unassuming and humble person.
Listening to her inspired me tremendously. Christine Lagarde’s
sharing could probably challenge us also to ask ourselves certain
hard questions:
ü How much are we investing into climbing up the ladder of
success for service?
ü What difference are we making with our lives in our work
and in society?
ü Is our output shaping society positively?
Christine Lagarde is an inspiratation for all of us career women and
men who are journeying to the top.
Please know her a bit through the CNN Story highlights below:
Story highlights (CNN)
A woman of many firsts, Lagarde was the first woman to chair the global law firm Baker and
McKenzie, the first female finance minister of France and the first woman to lead the IMF and is
in control of the global economy during an extended period of austerity.
This reflects upon this experience."It's a common trait of women, to be concerned about
the collective success more than about their individual visibility respectability and
success," she says.
Lagarde is acutely aware that she is a trailblazer in this chiefly male industry every time
she steps into the IMF boardroom - where the portraits of her male predecessors hang.
She is using her current position of power to draw attention to issues concerning women
in the global workforce. "I'm the managing director of the International Monetary Fund...and our
voice is listened to by policymakers," says Lagarde,who is helping coordinate
empirical research and analysis to provide evidence of the strong contribution that women provide
to the economy.
What do you think and feel within you in reading about her?
Her story is interesting.
Your thoughts and comments will be highly appreciated.
read more about her on this link.
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/20/business/5-things-you-didnt-know-about-christine-lagarde/index.html
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