Much has been written, talked about, and even merchandised about the new power and contemporary leadership of women. As a woman, I initially received this buzz about contemporary women’s place with a “hallelujah”, and now sigh, concluding how like the truism of memos serving the illusion of action, talking often serves the illusion of change.
One of the challenge I offer to those I work with is “how are you taking action on your new awareness/desire/choice/commitment in your daily life? While words are powerful, using words only for talk diminishes the power and clarity the authentic (root) meaning the word offers us for committing to action.
The root (Latin) meaning of the word “contemporary” is “together with” and I smiled to have found a word so accurate in describing the history of women’s leadership. While the word “contemporary” may currently mean “new/current/fashionable”, women’s leadership throughout history has been “together with” .
Women for ages have been “together with” the birthing and nurturing of new life, “together with” healing, tending and caring for members of their community, “together with” those in old age and in death. The leadership of women is not new, ever unfashionable, nor simply the leadership of men with a skirt and lipstick on it.
So the next time you hear talk about the new and contemporary leadership of women, smile at knowing just how contemporary women’s leadership is and commit yourself more to taking action “together with” your deepest values and what is sacred in the life you lead as a woman.