Leadership lessons by Madeleine Albright

By Edward Segal

Madeleine Albright, the first female US Secretary of State to die on March 23 at the age of 84, was a world-class leader who left many lessons for the business world.

Help others find their way

Retired U.S. Navy Captain Barbara Bell is a professor of leadership at Vanderbilt University and the author of Flight Lessons: Navigating Through Life’s Turbulence and Learning to Fly High. She was one of the first women to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Navy School of Pilot Testing.

Bell said: “When I think of Madeleine Albright, I think of her as a beacon – a solid, sure, bright beacon that women across the world actually navigate there, giving them hope that they too could one day become world leaders “.

“Condoleezza Rice saw that light, and so did Hillary Clinton, literally following in her footsteps. I saw the light and navigated a different path to becoming a senior Navy officer. it allows others to find their way, “he commented.

Leaders can overcome their humble beginnings

Bell said: “As someone who immigrated to the United States in 1948, Albright faced its own challenges, not only as a woman but also as a young child growing up in Europe during World War II. “She was the first female Secretary of State and the highest-ranking female diplomat in the history of American governments.”

Your impact may not be felt until later

“As Bill Clinton remarked in a recent posthumous statement, Madeline’s push for NATO expansion may be what will help us overcome the crisis in Ukraine,” Bell said.

Leaders raise the next generation of leaders

He noted that Albright’s four decades at Georgetown University “have produced almost two generations of world leaders who are all well versed in diplomacy. “Barbara Mikulski, a former U.S. senator and a key figure in promoting the role of women in the military, now teaches public policy at Johns Hopkins University. These women are leaders who have been guided by Albright’s unparalleled leadership.”

Flexibility and adaptability

Baruch Labunski, CEO of Rank Secure, noted that “in a historic moment where leaders like Vladimir Putin dominate the news and take power as a weapon, the world could use a few more women like Madeleine Albright. it can teach us a lot about diplomacy and its importance, but it can also teach us about business leadership.

He recalled that Albright had stated: “As a leader, you must have the ability to assimilate new information and understand that there may be a different point of view. Leadership does not require having all the answers … or pretending to have them. “Leadership requires flexibility and a willingness to adapt as we acquire new information. In both business and diplomacy, great leaders surround themselves with smart people and listen to them.”

Do not take yourself too seriously

According to Labunski, “in business, as in life in general, one of the surest ways to lose sight of yourself is to take yourself very seriously. Albright used to say: ‘Life is unpleasant and we do not have to be gloomy all the time “.

Keep things in perspective

“Running a profitable business is important. It benefits the local economy and finances our ability to pursue our passions. But we need to maintain a specific vision for our business. Have some fun. Let your employees relax a little and see. “Their work as an important part of their lives, but still only a part,” he concluded.

Have a value system

Organizational psychologist and executive coach Gena Cox, head of consulting and research services at Feels Human Partners, believes that “Madeleine Albright has shown the world that leaders need to have a value system, a perspective, a ‘why’ as their compass. This compass can help you set your morale red line, and this red line can determine your actions. Madeleine Albright had a clearly defined “why,” he noted.

Use the experience to your advantage

Cox said: “As a woman in corporate roles for over 30 years, Madeleine Albright provided a vision of what an ‘older’ woman can do. I saw how one could use experience as an advantage for gravity and then apply a “velvet coated steel layer”. He showed me how to win by being ‘different’.

Find different ways to express yourself

Magdalena Johndrow is a Financial Advisor and CEO of Financial Johndrow Wealth Management. Johndrow recalled that Albright, “was famous for always wearing elaborate pins on important occasions. She told us a story. [σε] a conference on when she wore a snake pin at a meeting with Iraqi officials in response to what she called a “unique snake.” Her choice to express herself silently in this way but strictly is so important to business leaders.

“Her actions taught me that it’s not always what you say, but how you say it. In addition, by continuing to wear colorful brooches, she also added a touch of femininity to a male-dominated field, and I also believed that this taught us women leaders to “We remain true to ourselves regardless of the environment, albeit in a discreet way,” Johndrow concluded.

Remember your mission

Daniel Comparetto, chief strategist at Deloitte Consulting, said Albright provided an example “of not only how to create a mission, but how to align everyone with it. It set an example of perseverance in achieving of.

“The leader must explain not only what he has to do, but also why. It is the responsibility of other leaders to approach and ask if they do not understand. Only when leaders, at all levels, understand and believe in the mission can they convey the message. “Their understanding and faith in their teams so they can stick to the challenges they face and win,” he said.