Women are born LEADERS

Margaret Thatcher, the only woman to have served as Prime Minister in the UK during the early 20^th century, said that, “if you want anything said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.”

Every woman can be a leader. Yet results of surveys show that most women underestimate their influence. Whether you believe it or not, you’re a leader-an influencer. Your opinions are listened to and acted upon.
The following nine principles from Women Today Magazine will help you make the most of your influence:

1. HAVE A DREAM THAT WILL LEAVE THIS WORLD A BETTER PLACE

2. KNOW WHAT YOUR STRENGTHS ARE

3. STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE

4. BE PERSISTENT

5. BE WILLING TO STAND ALONE

6. BE READY FOR RESISTANCE

7. SET AN EXAMPLE FOR YOUR STAFF

8. BE ETHICAL

9. LET GOD BE YOUR GUIDE

Leadership is simply the ability to turn a dream or a vision into a reality with and through the cooperation of other people. Do you think there’s anything worse than being blind? Yes! The most pathetic person in the whole world is someone who has sight but has no
vision. Have a big vision; something beyond your capabilities to keep you challenged. Have a dream and vision that is greater then yourself-one that will leave this world a better place.

I remember attending one seminar where in the speaker, an experienced entrepreneur, said, “You get things done through other people. Number one in business is getting the best person for the job. Number two, you delegate. Number three, supervise-go back and see that they did it.” In order to be effective, you need a team to work with. We lead on the basis of our strengths; we gather our team on the basis of their strengths. Understanding your strengths and the strengths of others is a key to effective leadership.

Remember that the people you want to influence will not rise to a higher standard of excellence than what they observe in you. If we wanted to be influential leaders, we had to do things right, not only do the right things. Strive for excellence and you will motivate others to do the same.

Mother Teresa was a determined woman. We are all witnesses of her greatness during her lifetime. As the pictures describe her, she was very tiny, less than five feet tall and kept her head cocked to one side. In spite all these, people all over the world treated her like the most powerful, focused, and determined person. Leaders are not people with exceptional talent; they are people who have learned from their mistakes, got up and tried again. Persistence my friend is a key to effective leadership.

If you have a passion, a dream or a mission, set measurable goals and work toward accomplishing them. You will find that many times you may have to work alone. You will probably be lonely. This reminds me of a young lady who lives islands away form her family just to pursue her education. She willingly replaced family birthdays, valentine’s day, father’s day, mother’s day, with stressful deadlines & sleepless study hours because she knows someday, her dream will push through. Max Lucado said, “A person who wants to lead the orchestra must turn his back on the crowd.”

Another fact in life is that when you are in leadership, you have to solve problems. Sometimes we have the faulty notion that we should be able to go through life problem free-that if we have problems, something is wrong with our life. As leaders, we have to be responsible, be ready to resist problems no matter how painful it is. Running away is not an option.

I am amazed at how often people want a position, but not the responsibility. It is natural to want to escape responsibility; we all do it. I myself is guilty of coming up with excuses when my mom asks me to wash the dishes. However, being a leader means being a
servant, it means working long hours whether you are in or outside your home. You are always on call.

Margaret Thatcher once said, “I am not a consensus politician, I am a conviction politician.” What set of values dictate your ethics-your behavior? Do you have convictions that cause you to say, “I will never do that” or “For me, that is not an option.” Or do you live by the opinions of others? It is important to have high ethical standards to be an effective leader. So that when temptation comes, you will not do something later that you will be sorry for.

During my highschool years, I realized I needed a source of strength beyond myself. The goals I had set for myself were not satisfying and even relationships did not fill my deepest need. So I gave the control of my life to God. He is that source of strength I needed. I simply pray, “Send me Your guiding spirit Father, Thy Will be done.” He hears me every time. It was like finding a missing piece to a puzzle after a long time. Find the power to change your life and your world-let God be your guide.

We recognize that Mother Teresa was one of the great religious and humanitarian leaders of the world. When we aspire to be leaders, we must learn to discern between fame and greatness. Fame is Madonna; greatness is Mother Teresa.

My dear friends, I hope that you will help me prove that, indeed, women are born leaders. If women would realize what influence they have, they would be filled with pride. If men recognized how influential women are, they would be scared to death.