Women Career Forum - Thursday, April 06, 2006

Feel like in Vietnam - just catching thoughts, no sorting out. Had a great day yesterday, somehow since my decision for EMBA, there are so many eye openings - I'm afraid I'll start beleiving in destiny.

Went to the Women Career Forum yesterday, was quite ok (and pretty relaxed for me, since I was not at all interested in company presentations or talking to HR departments of different companies - that was overcrowded!). Instead, I participated in a panell discussion with ESSEC alumni and attended two workshops. The first one was about leadership and was unbeleivable awful. I do not experience this "maß" on lack of professionalism that often... I think stupid things make me agressive. Was it News Week who published the top leaders of the last century somewhen in 2000? She brought this example to visualise that leadership is a matter of other's perception. Fact is Adolf Hitler obviously was one of the top ranked - so this poor girl seriously said "No, he was not a leader for me!" My dear, it is not about what you think and what I think, and it is not about good and bad. But if one person is followed by millions, we could accept this fact...

"If you are not perceipted by others as a leader, you will not achieve any goal" - our life is more complicated and is not only about our skills. We live in a framework of professional, society-related "game rules". Ok, enough of that!

Another workshop was a colour test. Wow, I was impressed!!! I did so many of those tests during my study and am not enthusiastic about doing one more - I know about test construction. But even knowing that, it was amazing to see the strong connection between our interpretation of colours and personal characteristics. Funny: nothing of my profile surprised me ;)

After the workshops, I met with European PWN (Professional Women Network) members - I'll definitely start it in Germany!

My dinner with M. becomes lunch today, I took the program of yesterday for her and L'Oreal gift bag (somehow, she was not accepted). Went with a French friend for a dinner.
Enough for a moment, let's experience the world!
... hours later...

My "business" lunch with M-J is over, she is a great woman! Very charismatic person...
There is no better thing in the world for me right now than sitting in a street cafe at rue Montorgueil, having a kir royal framboise (tres importante! ;o)) and catching the sun (it is about to disappear behind the old beautiful building on another side). And listening Joe Dassin... Feel just happy.