Sometimes leadership is planting trees under whose shade you'll never sit. It may not happen fully till after I'm gone. But I know that the steps we're taking are the right steps.
Interpretation
True leadership often involves making sacrifices and decisions that benefit future generations without immediate recognition.
This quote by Jennifer Granholm emphasizes the selfless nature of true leadership, where leaders invest in long-term outcomes for others, even if they themselves never reap the benefits. It highlights the importance of vision and commitment to progress that may not be realized in one's lifetime, and affirms that the actions taken today are crucial for the future.
In practice
This quote can inspire a team meeting discussing long-term goals and the importance of vision.
Those who purify your water, inspect your meat, and test your kids toys, as well as a huge number of nurses, teachers, and our soldiers, are public employees. The firefighters who don't hesitate to rush toward danger while you run away from it - they are all public employees.
When someone lives as a minority, they experience the world differently than those of us who live in the majority. We may occupy the same physical space, but we don't occupy the same psychic space.
There was that argument that if we had more women in positions of authority, the world would be a nicer place. And then we got Golda Meir, Margaret Thatcher, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Indira Gandhi. When women become acclimatised to war, they can become every bit as ruthless as men.
I have been in meetings where a head of state will say, 'I like your tie,' to a man... or, 'I like your country because the weather's good,' or whatever. So for me, the pins in some ways were openers.
The most significant barrier to female leadership is the actual lack of females in leadership. The best advice I can give to women is to go out and start something, ideally their own businesses. If you can't see a path for leadership within your own company, go blaze a trail of your own.
Everyone must understand that you can't demand solidarity when there's a problem and shirk your duties when there are solutions.
I applaud Women in Film - not only for celebrating the successes of women, but for providing a safety network to mentor women and to discuss the particular issues that arise in a very male-dominated industry.
A leader who doesn't hesitate before he sends his nation into battle is not fit to be a leader.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.