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Hillary Clinton’s life gives hope to girls with leadership skills

By Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji
08 November 2016   |   4:20 am
In my close study of Leaders, their character, the moral reasoning and philosophies that guide their ambitions and decisions, Hillary has thrillingly inspired me and featured prominently in my thoughts these past years.

obamaclinton

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
Calvin Coolidge

In my close study of Leaders, their character, the moral reasoning and philosophies that guide their ambitions and decisions, Hillary has thrillingly inspired me and featured prominently in my thoughts these past years.

She may not come across as a Woman of the People but I have learnt over time that popularity and public approval is relative within the clear definitions of self-appraisal, personal reality checks and a deep probing into conscience and those elements that underscore our humanity.

I titled this piece with the intention of highlighting and emphasizing the fact that Hillary Clinton’s statecraft has triggered and elevated the aspirations of an entire generation of Women from all corners of the globe and that in my opinion, is the hallmark of a Leadership.

No doubt, Hillary has failed a number of times as we all have, but she has also picked up the smithereens of her inadequacies, leaped through walls, learnt grace and arranged those pieces of her fragmented humanness into a fine story of hope and persistence as a Legacy to bequeath to generations.

A number of negative allegations have arisen against her but I have been quite fascinated that she doesn’t seem to be in pursuit of likeability rather she’s evolved into a Power house, a rare female specie who’s loved and adored by her friends and fans, one who cannot be ignored by her Foes alike. Her Story continues to point to the fact that a deep, frank and confident woman of these times is a threat to humanity in the books of a mediocre.

While one must not excuse Hillary’s frailties, her deliberate walk and struggle to live intentionally is instructive for modern age Leaders. She has a had a Career of many firsts and as a Woman, she has dared to thread on portions of the Earth’s surface that mankind had hitherto reserved for only the Male Folk.

Hillary Clinton will become the first Female President of the most Influential and Powerful Nation in the World and she didn’t stumble on an opportunity, she didn’t bow to the concept of been “allowed” to perform her womanhood, she stepped to the plate with the bravery of her own convictions, acting on sheer personal belief in the face of impediments that have come to her as concocted mendacious stories, damaging criticisms from all sides of the divide and even the pressure of coping with the shenanigans of her nearest and dearest in her own private backyard.

It is worthy of mention and commendation that Hillary knew when to retreat and support Barrack Obama after the 2008 Democratic Party Primaries because she understood the prescriptive notion of Oliver Goldsmith’s golden words – “He who fights and runs walks away, may live to fight another day; but he who is battle slain can never rise to fight again”.

Today, despite their initial differences and the campaigns of calumny against each other as Obama and Hillary battled for the US Presidency in 2008, Obama’s wife, Michelle, who can be well described only in this context as a result oriented weapon of satire, is perhaps the single, formidable individual that will swing the votes of the youth and undecided blocs of America’s population to ensure Hillary’s victory at the Polls.

In December 2000, Simon & Schuster agreed to pay Clinton a reported $8 million advance for what became Living History—a near-record figure to an author for an advance at that time. It’s a Riveting Story that must be told.

30 years a Happy Warrior– studying Law, marrying Bill and staying married to him for donkey years against all odds, delivering Chelsea, choosing her Jobs, volunteering for Causes, making hard decisions in the face of pain and poor judgement of fellow mortals, venturing into Politics, upholding and celebrating the ideals of the sisterhood of the travelling pantsuit, travelling over 100 Countries, putting a nail in the coffin of Osama Bin Laden, Iraq, Benghazi, Gaza and everything in between, Barack once stated that “No one in the History of America, not himself nor Hillary’s Significant other Bill was more prepared for the exigencies of leading America as Hillary”.

As a Young Woman who aspires to an excellent, impeccable record in Public Service and Leadership, this is a Lesson for me on coming into my own, on doing my own growing up no matter how tall my grandfather is, on living each moment of my life intentionally, on choosing my battles, on managing my relationships, on being judicious with words, on deciding which friends, allies and colleagues to keep in my inner circle and those who should be acquaintances and on the efficacy of my humanity.

Hillary’s Clinton’s Ascension into the Presidency is therefore a profound awakening to all the nice girls of this World. You must reach the finish line to earn Victory and only Winners receive Trophies after all.

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