#EveryWomanIsALeader

Growing up, I was highly impressed by world leaders like John F Kennedy, Indira Gandhi , Vladimir Putin and Bill Clinton. 

The more I studied these leaders, the more I was fascinated by their persona. Exceptional communication skills, great thoughts, designer ward robes and fancy educational degrees.

During my Management courses in college I tried my best to understand what goes in the making of a leader. Day in and day out I used to analyse the qualities and traits of a leader and compare them vis-a-vis a Boss.

The more I read about it, the more intrigued I was. 

• Great Communication
• Commitment
• Positive Attitude
• Creativity
• Intuition
• Respectful
• Ability to Inspire

These were just some of the qualities that identify or make a great leader. So when the awesome people at ShetheeopleTV, approached me to do a post on women in leadership I was so tempted to write about Indra Nooyi and Indira Gandhi. But writing about a person who I have only seen in pictures or television would not do justice to this post and that's why I decided to write about a person who I have known personally for decades. In fact I have lived with her for almost 25 years. If you haven't guessed it already, I am speaking about my mom.

That's my Mom!

 Years of analyzing the character of a leader had made me realize long ago that my mom was a born leader, but what makes her a leader is something that I would like to share with my readers and hence this post. Mom's are a different specie altogether. They are born as ordinary individuals, but motherhood equips them with superhuman powers which are hard to explain.
 My mom is no different. She is an excellent communicator, very creative, respectful, hard working, has a killer intuitive sense  and is a motivator.
 But what sets her apart is that she has never forced anything on us even when we were kids. She gave her opinion when asked but always left the ultimate decision with us, after asking us to weigh the pros and cons of every situation and opportunity.

 

 

In spite of having a full time job and household responsibilities, all her efforts went into developing our; her two daughters', personalities. She encouraged us to read, travel alone and take our own decisions, once we were adults. She wanted us to experience the real world ourselves; rather then dwell and rely on her experiences. 

Each day when the family sat down for dinner, we were encouraged to share everything that we did on that particular day. Whether we read a book, watched a movie or simply went out with friends, each one of us would share the entire doings of the day with the family, without feeling  hesitant, because she always instilled in us a feeling that WE as a family are one and no one would ever be judgmental.

Little did I realize that this dinner time conversations and debates, slowly but surely, would polish our conversational and debating skills apart from making our family bonds stronger.

Whether it was my elocution competition, quarterly school and college exams or a killer presentation; the entire family came together to help me on it. And our victories, however small, were celebrated like the whole family's victory and called for a celebration.

I am sure many reading this post will have a deja vu moment as they identify the same qualities in a person they know personally. And I won't be surprised if the person is a woman.
 
 

Because #EveryWomanIsALeader and it is this exact realisation that needs to be celebrated. Because this very thought is empowering.

My mom made me realize that you don't really need big educational degrees, a fancy accent or a designer wardrobe to be a leader. All you need is a goal, conviction and belief in oneself. She taught me that a leader never gives orders, they inspire others to follow them and do better.

My mom told me that I am a born leader and nothing in this world can take that away from me.

 

  

What are your thoughts on Women in leadership?

You can participate in the blogging competition held by www.shethepeople.tv on the topic ‘Women in Leadership’ and the winning entries can win an all-paid expense trip to an exciting destination.
Click on this link to participate: http://shethepeople.tv/leadership-contest/

 P.S. I do not own images used in this post.