We go into rural communities and all we do, like has been done in this room, is create the space. When these girls sit, you unlock intelligence, you unlock passion, you unlock commitment, you unlock focus, you unlock great leaders.
Leymah GboweeRead
Leadership is standing with your people. People say you have to live to fight another day, but sometimes you have to show you are a true leader.
Interpretation
True leadership involves being present and supportive for your team, even in difficult times.
In this quote, Leymah Gbowee emphasizes that effective leadership is not just about strategy or survival; it is about solidarity with your team. A true leader demonstrates courage and commitment, standing alongside their people during challenges, rather than simply prioritizing self-preservation. This highlights the importance of empathy and active involvement in leadership roles.
In practice
This quote could be used at a leadership training seminar to emphasize the role of empathy in effective leadership.
We go into rural communities and all we do, like has been done in this room, is create the space. When these girls sit, you unlock intelligence, you unlock passion, you unlock commitment, you unlock focus, you unlock great leaders.
Activism is something that no one can fake. You get angry. You cry. But you never throw in your towel, because that anger is what is propelling you to further action.
At 17, the first time I saw a dead body, I froze. By 31 it was a natural occurrence for me, and no group of people should live like that.
I always tell people, anger is like liquid. It's fluid, it's like water. You put it in a container and it takes the shape of that container. So many people you see in prison, unleashing war on their people, they are angry, and they take their anger and put it into a violent container.
The one thing I have never been afraid of is standing before important people and speaking my mind. I represent women who may never have the opportunity to go to the UN or meet with a president. I'm never afraid to speak truth to power.
When women gather, great things will happen.
When the common soldiers are too strong and their officers too weak, the result is insubordination. When the officers are too strong and the common soldiers too weak, the result is collapse.
When you try to be a role model, not everybody can relate to some of your highs - awards, championships. But everybody can relate to the lows. Everybody's gotten fired from a job or gotten cut. People learn more about you in those lows than they do in the highs.
What I've really learned over time is that optimism is a very, very important part of leadership.
And what I saw happening is that women don't make one decision to leave the workforce. They makes lots of little decisions really far in advance that kind of inevitably lead them there.
Look to Africa, for there a king will be crowned.
If nominated by either party, I should peremptorily decline, and even if unanimously elected, I should decline to serve.
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