ambassadors without diplomatic passport
dedicated and structured lady, she knows what she wants and will do the maximum to achieve it. I am very proud that we know each other, and that she chose me for the foreword in her book. It is incredible that she not only concentrates on women in her Lean In program, but also on men, partners, fathers and young people who can change things. It is remarkable that she continues to work intensively on her activities even after she unexpectedly lost her beloved husband. I know you have been active in mentoring for nearly a decade. I also mentioned your involvement in Minerva 21 movement and the fact that you have managed to get involved with some very prominent personalities. Do you see some change in Czech society with regards to the low number of women CEOs and board members in general? If we look at the numbers, it is not a very positive trend. The numbers of women in top positions have not significantly increased during the past years. On the other hand, I have to say that the atmosphere, perception and prejudice in society have changed greatly when compared to the situation 12 years ago, when my first daughter was born. Just to mention the infrastructure that has been built, women with children can adapt very well to the working process, because of private nurseries and kindergartens. I think that in today’s
Linda´s purpose is to unleash potential in individuals and organizations. She enjoyes bringing expertise and synergy to corporate, non-profit, academic and public spheres. In ATAIRU, she leads leadership programs for women and transformational programs for boards. She is a senior lecturer at the Anglo-American University. Linda holds degrees from the Oxford University, Geneva Institute of International Relations and Université Lyon III. Linda is married, lives in Prague and has two children. world, we must also concentrate on men, so they may start to understand that women are different, that they behave differently, that they speak differently, that they decide differently, and so they may understand that real diversity brings diversity of thoughts, which then brings innovations, and new ways of thinking leading to success. So I am happy that we established Minerva 21, which concentrates on our entire society, not just the big corporations, and wants to help to build self-confidence in young students, mothers on parental leave, senior citizens, businesswomen, managers and leaders throughout society. And I am glad that Minerva21 gets more support from men. Because that is how our movement will get more influence and thus make a larger impact.
Can women support each other? If we are not even unanimous on the issue of quotas, which should reverse the trend of a mere 4% of women currently in the positions of CEOs and board members, how can we cooperate? And can women cooperate and compete at the same time? I believe that support and cooperation are the necessary grassroots for change, and can I see it happening. I have personally had so much support and help from exceptional women in my life, that I chose it as my life journey, at least in a certain part of my life. I wanted to focus and pay back at least part of what I received. So yes, I believe in it, but of course it does not always work. It is said that women prefer to compete instead of helping each other. We in Minerva 21 strongly believe in cooperation, it is the basis of all our activities, and we think that support is the most important thing that we can give to each other. It is a great feeling to know that I did something good for another woman (or man of course). Sometimes a smile is enough, a supporting sentence, praise, or just listening… We also believe in not harming each other, and not talking behind each other’s backs. Our founder Rostya Gordon-Smith says “Even if you may think she is a bitch, please support her.” So yes, there will not be results without strong cooperation. I know that you are very visionary, but at the same time fast and dynamic. Besides challenges that await you in your new position of Global HR at NN, what are your other dreams to achieve? I currently feel like I am living one of my dreams. With my family, we are experiencing a totally new phase in our lives, we are writing a new chapter to our life book, which is incredible. My dream is to live a calm and relaxed life and to have time for my kids and family, and just enjoy everyday, working on things that make sense and bring value. By Linda Štucbartová, external collaborator of Czech Leaders magazine Kateřina Glacnerová from the Anglo-American University helped with the translation and abridged version.
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