South African Women’s Day is the perfect opportunity to pay tribute to the women who marched in front of the Union Building in 1956 during the apartheid era. This historic event was a courageous display of strength and resilience, forming a powerful movement, not only for gender equality, but for the basic human rights of people.
August 9th has grown from a one day commemorative event to an entire month of awareness around significant gender issues such as discriminations, domestic violence and equal pay – proving that we still have a long way to go.
What has been most inspiring to me is the progression of the movement, whether locally or on a global scale. Women have become the ultimate force to reckon with, empowering one another to succeed and thrive. Through strong leadership, female mentorship and skills and development programs, the level of support for one another is something to aspire to.
This month I would like to celebrate some of the women that I admire. From strong leaders to family ties, these super women are and forever will be one in a million.
1) Margaret Thatcher:
Also known as the Iron Lady and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in a very crucial era for the country. It was a time of change and revolution. Her strong leadership put all the Trade Unions in place without fear or favor. Here are some top leadership lessons that we could all learn from this fearless woman:
- Lead with conviction
- Strengths can turn into weaknesses
- Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t
- Everything is fine until you run out of everybody else’s money
- If you just set out to be liked, you would be prepared to compromise on anything at any time and you would achieve nothing
2) Maya Angelou:
The world-famous author who used her work to change segregation in America. After being raped at the age of 7 her legacy was forgiveness. She had many great quotes but for me her best quote was: “I have learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Here are a few more reasons why I admire the incomparable Maya Angelou:
- Speak with confidence and power
- Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable and share your story
- See hard times as opportunities for growth
- Develop your courage
- Have hope for the future
3) Cecelia Krige (My Mother)
My Mother had will power and mental strength like few people in this world. She had to send me and my two brothers 3500km away from our home to receive a decent education. She had to accept that she could only see us every six months. Small in stature, softly spoken but feisty and strong as a Lion.
4) Maria Ramos:
A pioneer for women in a male dominated arena. Her resilience under major pressure is what makes her one of the top 5 women who inspire me. Imagine if she was still the head of PRASA?
5) Justine Krige (My Wife)
I have never met a person who has more compassion than Justine. The more the merrier and she has a ear for every single person who comes through our front door. (trust me there are many). Slow to anger and quick to forgive. A great example of a person bearing the fruits of the spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control
Read some leaders and people that have inspired me throughout my life in Life Lessons From Inspirational Leaders.
Follow my musings on Facebook and LinkedIn. For more information about my keynote speech, click the following speaker sheet.