ROBERT CLEMENTS
[dropcap]S[/dropcap]omething I taught both my daughters was to be a man in a man’s world!
Sounds strange doesn’t it? Unfortunately for us, the world, more so our country is still one were men feel they reign supreme! So there is a need, I told my daughters to be men in a men’s world.
So often I find women with tremendous leadership qualities, suddenly using the emotional card when they get driven to a corner: The solitary tear runs down their cheek, soon joined by another and another till waves wash her face!
Tears are a great way of bringing men to their knees in repentance!
“What’s happened to our boss? Her cabin is closed?”
“I think she’s weeping!”
“About what?”
“That we failed to deliver!”
“Let’s go to her cabin and console her! Poor thing!”
And they all troop into her office and console the poor thing! But forever will she remain a ‘poor thing’ in their minds. You need to be men in a man’s world.
I remember the time when one of India’s cricket captains was accused of match fixing. He was banned and I think, is still banned from playing cricket. What did he do? Instead of refuting his accusations, instead of trying to prove his innocence, which the world knew there was nothing to prove, he pulled out his minority card. “I am being victimized because I belong to the minority community!” he shouted to all and sundry.
It was the most unfair thing anyone could have done. He was being accused of match fixing and not because he belonged to a particular community.
The same with you women, never use your ‘women’ card when you are doing a professional job. Your tears will get the sympathy required, but you will lose the opportunity to be a leader of those same men and women.
I see a sea change in the world today, women reaching higher posts, women become bosses, and to think that hardly hundred years ago they couldn’t even vote in some of the advanced countries of the world!
Giant steps are being taken by womankind, and giant opportunities are being made available for them, but remember even as you of the fairer sex march onwards, win the battle by being strong women in a man’s world.
Even as the tears well in your eyes, allow them to go away and handle the situation firmly. There’s always a husband or boyfriend, a father or mother who will wipe your tears away later, with admiration for you in their eyes.
