Remember that book "Men are from Mars, Women from Venus' by Dr Gray published about a decade ago? I read somewhere it sold 50 million copies and translated into 40 languages.
I was a panelist with two ladies Hani Bohlender and Wendy Mackey Jones of the European Professional Women's Network from the UK and moderated by Munirah Looi a former Citibanker and now President /CEO of Brandt International at the 'Women Extraordinaire Forum 2013'. This forum, hosted in Hong Kong and elsewhere, is for the first time, being hosted or organized here in Malaysia. Tan Sri Rafidah, Aziz Minister of the Ministry for Women, CEO of SME, Politician Datuk Azalina, Iron Lady Datuk Maznah Hamid, Datuk Hazimah of Hyrax, Datuk Dr Norraesah, Sharifah Maria Alfah and other powerful or who's who women in both the corporate and the public sector, were among the many speakers. Why me? haha I guess they wanted to hear views from the men too. I must admit at the outset, that my views were strictly mine and those of my favorite management guru, Tom Peters hehehe.
I accepted to be panelist with a certain degree of fear and trepidation. Fear that I may be hurled with rotten tomatoes or rottens eggs if my remarks were politically incorrect or offensive and intimidating at best haha or someone captures me on her smartphone, uploads it onto youtube, it went viral and next thing you know, I am dead meat. hahaha... Seriously, I had to be very very careful about what I was going to say.
Then I remembered Lord Armstrong, the Cabinet Secretary during Lady Margaret Thatcher days, when he was accused of lying. His Lordship went up to the rostrum at the House of Lords and said.. 'No, I did not lie. I was merely being economical with the truth!' hehehe
But, me being me...when the microphone was in my hand...I was rambling away 'mulots takde insurans' like there was no tomorrow...hahaha.
Then I remembered Lord Armstrong, the Cabinet Secretary during Lady Margaret Thatcher days, when he was accused of lying. His Lordship went up to the rostrum at the House of Lords and said.. 'No, I did not lie. I was merely being economical with the truth!' hehehe
But, me being me...when the microphone was in my hand...I was rambling away 'mulots takde insurans' like there was no tomorrow...hahaha.
The topic of discussion was 'women in the new century- women in leadership and whether or not there were differences in leadership styles between men and women'. Wow, berat tuh..(heavy stuff) haha. And based on recent IMD research there are 3 paradigms (gender blind views, gender conscious view and perception is reality view). And I started off by declaring that I am of the first paradigm (gender blind view). In my last blogpost I promised not to write heavy stuff hehehe. I shall leave it at that ok? But if you like further details, go visit www.womenforum.asia.
The momento I received (photo above) caught my attention. It is figurine of Dewi Shinta. In the Ramayana Epic, she (Dewi Shinta) is the wife of Sri Rama that was kidnapped by Rahwana. Go google the rest of the story. Good night folks and TGIF...hehehe
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