Former politician and Executive Director of Salt and Light Ministries, Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee, has shared on Y107.9FM, her secret to being a successful political leader for all these years.
During her exclusive interview on YFM’s Y-Leaderboard Series with host, Rev. Erskine, she noted that she was challenged a lot for being a lady and holding the mantle, however, socialization is what helped her pull through.
Dr. Aryee shared, “Socialization has been both good and bad. For a lot of men, women are only useful for one purpose, and in that same manner also, I guess a lot of women feel that we have to be on the ground with the men on top of us and this is where I talk about objectivity”.
She went on to advice that, “When you go to a place of work, you have to try and get objective, and try to rise above what you will be socialized with. Then again, all this is also a new learning. The kind of new learning that will make you understand that some of the resistance you go through in the office is also part of the socialization that people have had to go through”.
Again, she revealed that for a woman to be respected as a leader, she has to make the effort not to behave like the men do.
“You don’t want to be a man, because you’re not. What you want to do is to bring some leadership skills, to help change the place and to lead”, Auntie Joyce added.
According to her, it is important to accept the resistance as it comes, and find ways to turn them around, as this helps in making a woman a great and strong leader.
Dr. Joyce Rosalind Aryee is the former Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines and the first woman to head an African Chamber of Mines. She has served in the private and public sectors for over forty years.
By: Maureen Dedei Quaye
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