What keeps Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany at the top?
By Terry Selucky (Los Angeles)
Last week, Germany’s Angela Merkel became the only European leader to secure a second re-election since the financial crisis of 2008. Viewed as a skilled diplomat and nicknamed the “Iron Chancellor”, Germany’s incumbent is, according to The Economist among others, the “de facto leader of the European Union.”
So what can we learn from the woman who is currently named #2 in Forbes’ “Most Powerful People” list, just after President Obama? The components of Merkel’s career can be translated to any career, at any time.
1. It may sound trite, but willingness is an overlooked and underrated component to leadership. Merkel wasn’t from a political family and she wasn’t pre-ordained to climb the ranks of German political leadership. It wasn’t until 1989, when she was 35 and working as a researcher, that she was elected into parliament from her position as spokesperson for her minority political party. Part of Merkel’s success is that she put herself in the position to mingle, debate, discuss, learn, and be discovered. Translation: Be vocal about what your interests are. Volunteer to help on a project, or read up on the kind of work you want to be involved in.
2. Being mentored. From Business Insider to the Wall Street Journal to this blog, all signs point to the evidence that having a mentor can have a lasting, positive effect on your career. Sheryl Sandberg credits Larry Summers with why she was able to rise in her field. It’s simple: Mentors provide guidance, advice, and connections to help you get to the next step. The links above provide solid steps on how to choose a mentor. When you cultivate these mentor relationships and establish sponsors who will advocate for you, then you will really feel the impact on your career advancement.
3. Great timing is perhaps one of the most hard-to-pinpoint qualities, but a good leader has to be in the right place at the right time. Synced with Merkel’s rise to power was the fact that the EU was poised for change. Merkel is a leader whose passionate opinions and strong leadership have earned her the moniker “the decider,” and with a shaky economy, Europe demands heavy guidance. Her commitment to austerity, though at times controversial, seems to be delivering the region toward stability. For women in business, this simply means responding to your current environment. Know what your company’s needs are, and act accordingly. Read more about good timing here.
4. Others’ acceptance. Of course, you can never control what other people think of you, but certain strategies and tactics can help you gain acceptance. This is not to say that your goal should be to please others; do that and you’ll find yourself pulled in all directions until you feel like a rubber octopus. The time-tested way to gain others’ acceptance is simply to earn it. Cultivate trust. Think of your best relationships—most likely, they took time to develop and have evolved through give and take: asking, listening and compromise. From 1990 until 2005, Merkel advocated for change in labor laws, in fiscal reform, and in energy policy, earning her way to Chancellorship.
5. Prove your character again and again. Have you noticed that our most successful, admired leaders seem to rise above circumstances? That they operate on a plane of self-possession, embodying the values people refer to as “leadership qualities?” Even though she has a specific point of view, Merkel has been praised worldwide for her diplomacy skills. Her constituency, in interviews, celebrates that “she persevere[s] in spite of all the West German men in high positions. You can see she is knowledgeable in all kinds of areas.” To be a good leader, you must continually demonstrate your values and your commitment.
Certainly, there are as many formulas for successful leadership as there are leaders in the world. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, gives this advice to young women leaders: “Grit your teeth and smile. And in the face of adversity, go. They don’t deserve you.” Raised by a single mother, she was inspired by her family, held numerous posts in the French government (securing mentorship, gaining acceptance) and stepped up to announce her candidacy (willingness) immediately following Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s resignation as Managing Director of the IMF (timing).
In Lagarde’s words, the ups and downs of her job are “…an extraordinary adventure every day…Success is never complete. Each morning, one must put one’s capacities to the test once again.”
Though these two women hold many opposing beliefs about how to fix the economy, they keep a close and mutually respectful relationship—yet another practice of which US leaders should make a habit. Let’s hope they continue to inspire women around the world.
