Female Leadership during ancient times

These days women are encouraged to take leadership roles, although it\’s not always made easy for us when we are expected to behave and lead in the same way as our male counterparts. Can you imagine how the early trailblazing women during ancient times would have struggled to push forward change?

Have you heard of the Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut? 

Last month I spent 15 days in Eqypt on holiday with my family and soaked up so much history on top of all that sun and vitamin D. I visited Hatshepsut\’s Temple in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor and was blown by her legacy – how she became Queen and ruled Egypt for 24 years.

Hatshepsut accomplished what no other woman had before her. She ruled the most powerful civilization for over 20 years. Hatshepsut had a hunger to be Queen, but because her mother was a commoner and not of royal blood, only her half brother Thutmose II could succeed after their father\’s death. She married her half brother King Thutmose II and became the Queen. During her leadership Egypt prospered as Hatshepsut was very good at building relations with neighbouring countries, which improved international trade. She was presented with gifts and was able to get whatever she asked for.

This woman\’s ambition and vision was clearly ahead of times; by being the first to build a Temple in the heart of the Valley of the Kings she shattered a glass ceiling and marked female leadership in the heart of what was a place reserved for male rulers only. Hatshepsut was very unique – she refused to be seen in the glory of her beauty and instead would wear a beard to look like a Pharaoh and stand shoulder to shoulder with the male dominated hierarchy. She was only the third woman to become pharaoh in 3,000 years of ancient Egyptian history, and the first to attain the full power of the position. Cleopatra, who also exercised such power, would rule some 14 centuries later.

You can read more about this ancient Egyptian history here: 

https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/hatshepsut

These are the leadership lessons we can learn from this historical trailblazer:

1️⃣ If you believe in your \’dream\’ no barrier can stop you from achieving it.

2️⃣ Strategising is essential to achieving your goal.

3️⃣ Political navigation is about how you manage relationships with people who are important to achieving your goal.

4️⃣ Dare to be different & do what nobody else has done before.

5️⃣ Create your legacy so that you can be remembered long after you are gone. Although her stepson Thutmose III destroyed everything she built after he killed her, he couldn\’t wipe out her legacy.

* I\’ll be delivering my Leadership Programme in October. If you would like to join, DM me via LinkedIn

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