A few weeks ago, Julia Gillard became the first female prime minister of Australia. Rather than respond to potential negative press coverage, she brings quick wit and reality when dealing with the media and naysayers.
Count me among her new potential fans. I continue to be impressed how she handles herself as a leader stepping onto the international platform. Seemingly, the section I penned about savvy sound bites in Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success is timely and relevant.
The 48-year old Welsh-born attorney and former union official has recently gained significant traction with the public in Australia. The media and others are digging deeper to get a closer look. Nonetheless, she holds her own. That’s for sure.
1. Trend-Setting– Just take for example how she responded to inquiries about being the first red-headed Australian prime minister. She skillfully responds saying “The first woman and maybe the first red-head? We’ll allow others to delve into the history and I’ll allow you to contemplate which was more unlikely in the modern age.” According to CNN news she went on to say that “I didn’t set out to crash my head on any glass ceilings. I set out to keep my feet on the floor.”
2. Non-Issues– A senator questioned Gillard’s readiness for office and cited that since she had no children that she was “deliberately barren.” She ignored the comment and referred to him as a “man of the past.” She also went on sharing enlightened thinking saying that “I certainly never made a choice of work over family or politics over family. I didn’t make that choice but I made a set of choices along the way which added up to one big choice.”
3. Reality Check– She is aware of the road ahead. She also knows she is neither in a popularity contest nor a beauty pageant. In her first official remarks, she said “There will be some days I delight you, there may be some days I disappoint you. On every day I will be working my absolute hardest for you.”
4. Women in Leadership– On the issue of women in Parliament, she knows there is still much work to be done to get more women in leadership positions. According to News.com Australia, she said that “because there are so many prominent women in this Government it causes people to overlook the fact that if you do the numbers we’re still 27 or 28 per cent across the Parliament, so there’s more to do here.”
It’s unfortunate that when some women leaders assume the helm their credibility, authenticity, and capability come into question. Gillard does not pretend that all is well in Oz but at least she appears to be a leader tackling the mundane and meaningful simultaneously.
Check out what reporter Julia Baird writes in a June Newsweek article that provides insight into Gillard’s makeup as a budding and respected leader. http://www.newsweek.com/2010/06/24/being-julia.html
