Golda Meir, the fourth prime minister of Israel, is a woman with many attributes that I admire. A woman who rose up in the ranks politically, at a time when woman were placed on a shelf and meant to take care of the household. She paved the road for future women in politics, especially in the Middle East. Golda Meir showed no fear when she stood in a room full of men who thought she was not up to the task (Pogrebin, 2009).
She fought for her beliefs at a time when the impossible was possible. Her political career pivotal point was when she was one of two women to sign the Declaration of Independence for Israel in 1948 (Declaration of Establishment of State of Israel, 1948). The auspicious honor lit the fire under her and made her even more determine to help mold Israel into the vision of its people. She had to fight not only because she was a woman, but she was not a religious woman, and the religious political parties were not happy about that. But the religious political parties were moved after remembering a strong woman leader from the bible (Pogrebin, 2009).
I admire Golda Meir’s resilience to overcome all these hurdles and stand firm in her beliefs. I also admire her at times of defeat and her ability to understand that somethings are not in her control and owning up to them even if it places her in a bad light. She demonstrated this attribute after the Yom Kippur of 1973 against the Syrians and Egyptians. After 48 grueling hours protecting her boarder, Israel defeated Syria and Egypt. This took a toll on Golda Meir, and by the spring of 1974, she retired from politics and public eyes (Biography.com, 2016).
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She understood what the country and people needed in order to stand on their own around nations who did not want them there. Her strong sense of being part of something that is bigger than her and her contribution to the cause, is another attribute I admire about her.
In line with Golda Meir, it has allowed me to think of attributes that I have inside me that I want others to see. I believe that of one has a passion, nothing should stop them from pursuing it. Even the impossible is possible. All one has to do is work hard and try the best that they can. This motto is one that I try to emulate every day, with every task that I do and those who I talk to daily agree with this. They see how hard I work to achieve in what I want and help when they can.
Another attribute/belief that I see myself connecting with Golda Meir is respect for others. It is important to respect others as one should want to be respected. Demonstrating respect shows people that you care about them and their opinions. I value those who respect others. It demonstrates characteristics that makes a person. People who respect others, others they might not even know, validates compassion and understanding of others.
Seeing strangers respect others causes my behavior to change. I make more of an effort to respect people that might frustrate or annoy me. It grounds me and makes me step back and look at myself and think if I am respecting those I am confronted with. I hope by me respecting others, I can lead by example and cause a chain of reactions that is only positive. This will cause society to be better to one another, generating a happier lifestyle.
Being the first female prime minister of Israel, Golda Meir tread the road for future female politicians. I hope to also lead by example as well. Accomplishing something that is difficult, proves that others are also able to do it, even if it might be difficult at first. Golda Meir worked hard to climb the political ladder at a time that women were not in her position, but she accomplished it. Her leadership and perseverance makes me want to lead those who work for me and help them get further in life. I want my coworkers to know that I also had to work from the ground up, but I accomplished and reached my goal, and they can too. That similarly means that I need to push those who need a push so that they can get over the difficult hump. Being a leader means to push those under you, so that they too can achieve similar aspirations.
Golda Meir inspired many Jewish women to go after what they want even if others thought they were incapable of achieving it. She led the Israeli army in victory against nations who wanted to see them abolished, all with having conflicts within in her own government, just because she was a woman. Being a leader is something I aspire to be.
However, being a leader does not mean I should not listen to others, especially those who are below me in rank. Having an open mind is important because listening to different opinions can help come to a conclusion that might be difficult if you were by yourself. Being a leader is knowing that I do not know everything, and I am willing to admit it and ask for help in any situation.
When I asked my friends and family members, they agree with this attribute. I am a leader, but I also know when to ask for help. They admire me for this attribute/principle. Admitting the need for help might as if I am weak, but to me, it is the opposite. Asking for help shows strength because it shows that I do not know everything, but someone else might know and can therefore contribute to the situation.
Admiration towards others has a positive effect to oneself. You look within yourself and associate similar provenances. It makes you feel good inside when you recognize characteristics that both you and your admirer share. Also the characteristics that you do not share with the person you admire but want to encompass as well, causes you to make the effort to do so. A good leader knows when to push those beneath them at the same time helping those below them to grow into their own people with the tools that they give them. I acknowledged that when learning about Golda Meir’s life and how she became the prime minister. She learned from those she followed and used their characteristics to help form her idealistic vision to form her own views. I hope to take some of her characteristics that will help me become a future leader.
References
- Biography.com (Ed.). (2016, April 29). Golda Meir Biography. Retrieved February 14, 2019, from The Biography.com: https://www.biography.com/people/golda-meir-9404859
- Declaration of Establishment of State of Israel. (1948, May 14). Retrieved Feburuary 14, 2019, from Israel Ministry of Forgein Affairs: https://mfa.gov.il/mfa/foreignpolicy/peace/guide/pages/declaration%20of%20establishment%20of%20state%20of%20israel.aspx
- Pogrebin, L. (2009, March 20). Golda Meir. Retrieved February 14, 2019, from Jewish Women’s Archive: https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/meir-golda
