The only point of having power it seems to me is to empower others. The only point of leadership is to inspire.
Interpretation
True leadership is about empowering and inspiring others, not just holding power.
In this quote, Eve Ensler emphasizes that the essence of leadership lies in the ability to uplift and inspire those around us. It suggests that power should not be wielded for personal gain but rather as a means to empower others, instilling confidence and encouraging them to reach their fullest potential. Leadership, therefore, is not just about authority; it's about fostering growth and inspiration within a community.
In practice
During a team meeting to emphasize collaborative leadership.
Dancing insists we take up space, and though it has no set direction, we go there together. Dance is dangerous, joyous, sexual, holy, disruptive, and contagious and it breaks the rules. It can happen anywhere, at anytime, with anyone and everyone, and it's free. Dance joins us and pushes us to go further and that is why it's at the center of ONE BILLION RISING.
Before cancer, I was obviously disconnected. I had a tumor the size of a mango inside me and didn't do anything about it. It wasn't like I didn't know something was wrong.
It's a weird thing about the truth: It protects you. What really makes you vulnerable is when you're lying because you're going to get caught. When you tell the truth, there's a strange relief that comes.
Well, the tyranny of masculinity and the tyranny of patriarchy I think has been much more deadly to men than it has to women. It hasn’t killed our hearts. It’s killed men’s hearts. It’s silenced them, it’s cut them off.
Why are women immobile? Because so many feel like they’re waiting for someone to say, "You’re good, you’re pretty, I give you permission."
Security is elusive. It's impossible. We all die. We all get old. We all get sick. People leave us. People change us. Nothing is secure.
Successful leaders don't start out asking, 'What do I want to do?' They ask, 'What needs to be done?' Then they ask, 'Of those things that would make a difference, which are right for me?'
When hiring somebody, I never ask to see a curriculum vitae. I feel that since I didn't have one myself, it would be a bit presumptuous to ask to see anyone else's.
It's a blessing that South Africa has a man like Nelson Mandela.
When the decision is up before you-and on my desk I have a motto which says "The buck stops here"-the decision has to be made.
You need to make sure you hire people who are capable of being strong team players. Team members should fit the company's culture, be committed to the team, and be capable of being genuinely vulnerable and selfless.
Your position never gives you the right to command. It only imposes on you the duty of so living your life that others can receive your orders without being humiliated.
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