DEAR DIARY: Humility lessons from US envoy

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There are those who have kept copies of this magazine since its launch in the Tanzanian market. And then there are those who religiously buy this magazine every Saturday. One such woman is the outgoing Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Tanzania and the East African Community (EAC) Virginia Blaser.

In this issue we feature the envoy and her role as a woman professional and how she managed to balance her role as a wife, mother and her country’s representative on the shores of Indian Ocean.

Word from those close friends and colleagues to this envoy has it that she was very humble. Why am I bringing humility issue here? It is because several women tend to forget about lifting fellow women as soon as they ascend into high positions.

They forget to groom and bring the best out of their women colleagues and all they spread is fear and terror.

People suddenly start trembling at their presence. They let success get so much into their heads such that they forget to be human beings at the end of the day and throw peoples’ skills out of the window. We can learn a few lessons of humility.

She was a professional woman so effective at her work and surrounded herself with people from different backgrounds.

She did not just associate with “yes people” but accommodated her critics as well. As a professional woman holding a high position, never stop growing because even experts take criticism and have room to learn. A little humility will remind us that we are human beings after all.

A great leader pulls others up along the way and remembers their roots by always guiding others to learn.

And don’t forget to treat people with some dignity and encourage them to work extra hard.

Virginia truly touched the hearts of many women while on duty in Tanzania. For those who didn’t know Virginia, she is well grounded, warm and lovely to people around her despite her post. From the Woman desk, we wish Virginia well in her future endeavours.