The Iron Lady of Africa.

Liberia is on my mind as I write this today. LOL, I am not planning to relocate, but contemplating on the political history well narrated, the roots, the culture of the Liberia coup, social and political unrest and leadership, well portrayed by the person who could do the job perfectly, the First Female African President, her Excellence Ellen Johnson Sirleaf famously known as “The African Iron Lady”.

Reading her Memoir, was all that I needed to feel challenged, inspired and educated. So let me talk about her Memoir for now;

I loved and enjoyed reading this one; it was well written, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is indeed a good storyteller. From the reason behind the title of the book, her parents, marriage and divorce, her political and professional journey I found myself knowing and loving her more and more. I bet her inauguration day was the best and exciting day in Liberia after passing through the civil wars era before her time in office (2006) which she indeed talks about and shared her inauguration speech in the Memoir, powerful!.

She shared how eager she was in learning and focusing on her future despite her father (before the stroke and death) being a well-known person in Liberia and they had a good life; she pursued her education and kept the eagerness even when she started working, her ability to keep learning was amazing. As she said;

I was forever working and studying, determined to advance my career. Plus I loved it

She was so inspired she didn't stop pursuing education even after she was married at 17years and with four kids. She applied and fought for a scholarship, got in and everything changed…. isn't that amazing!!!.

Here are few other quotes that made me fall in love with this Memoir;

Everything I did, every action I took, matched the circumstances of the times. If I could live my life again, I would live exactly the same way

I was ahead of my time, but I am no longer alone. We are breaking barriers daily; in another decade there will be hundreds of women in real positions of leadership all over Africa and all over the World

The inability to tolerate criticism is a troublesome trait in any human being, but in a leader, it is especially so. If you are a leader, you are going to get hit. You are going to get hit verbally sometimes with some very harsh words; you must be prepared to take criticism, to stand still and let it just pass over you without resorting to retribution or revenge. Being able to “take it” is part of the price of leadership.

Her boldness, courage, failure, criticism, successes, Liberia’s political reform, professionalism and perseverance is what this Memoir entails and it was a good read. This Nobel Peace Laureate indeed deserves the name, the Iron Lady of Africa.