I recently read a story about a woman called Ina Drew. A woman I have never met before. A woman I have never seen or heard about before until I read The New York Times. I was drawn to the story because of its subtitle, "How a $6 billion mistake took down the most powerful woman on Wall Street".
I have recently been intrigued by a myriad of stories about women and their ascension to the highest ranks in the Corporate world. Some falling. Or deciding it's not for them and resigning to take on more "meaningful" roles in life. Women who are questioning whether the sacrifices are worth the aggravation. Worth losing their families over.
Leaving me pondering why so many women are facing this struggle. Asking themselves when is enough enough. Trying to come to terms with what success really means. Trying to strike a balance between careers, families and quality of life.
When I read the story about Ina Drew, a woman who seemed to be balancing her family life with her corporate life. A woman who seemed to understand and accept her feminine side without trying to transform herself into a "man" - something she obviously realised she could never be. A woman who allowed her staff to balance their lives by leading by example and doing the same with hers. I felt great pride upon discovering there are actually some women who are not trying to be something they are not and can never be. But that elation turned to despair when I realised that not even this iconic woman could survive in the Corporate World.
I was most offended by the way the article ended with Ina Drew being depicted as a "weak" woman. Painting an image of a woman falling apart who could not handle pressure of being in the man's world - mascara running down her face, swatting off a sexual harassment issue, hands shaking, losing weight, crumbling under the pressure. Why was it necessary to try to destroy the image of a woman who had managed to make it into the C-Suite with her own smarts and had taken her former organisation to heights unimaginable during the heyday all while making sure she was at home with her family at meal times and empowering her work mates to have a balanced life style.
But as I reflected on her story, I realised she did the honourable thing by willingly stepping up to the plate allowing herself to become the sacrificial lamb for the rest of her staff. Leading by example right to the bitter end. Should that have been the twist on the story rather than writing about her perceived disintegration in the media?
Ina Drew signifies to me a woman who stepped into the lion's den and knew she had to pay the price for doing so when the stuff hit the fan. Not once has she come into the newspaper decrying her fellow coworkers. Nor has she make a public spectacle of herself. As a matter of fact the newspaper article painted her as a person who knew her limitations and did not want to be in the limelight and nor did he want to be the CEO of a company. She wanted to do what she knew best bearing in mind she was a mother first.
Why couldn't she be praised for what she had done to save the institution from being drawn into a battle and causing many innocent people to lose jobs. Many will argue that she put the institution in that position in the first place so why should she be lauded for trying to mitigate the job she started in the first place. But here's the thing, only when we stop putting enormous pressures on companies to grow, when we stop demanding the best of everything at prices far than they should be, when we stop demanding altogether, we will continue to see financial institutions on the brink of collapse because we are all enabling them with our demands.
I take my hat off to Ina Drew who did the best she could with the resources she had. Opening doors for many who would not otherwise have a chance. Bringing a feeling of teamwork to an organisation unlike before. And showing that women do not need to be ashamed of the fact that we are mothers first but still get the job done. It's just a shame that she was the only one who was brave to take the fall for doing what every one praised her for in the past and doing what everyone expected her to do - make brave decisions for her company's growth. Ironically, even in tendering her resignation she made the greatest and last brave decision for her organisation. She was strong enough to take responsibility for her actions no matter the consequences for herself.
Could this story have been written in a different way without trying to make it sound like a movie? Would I have reacted the same way if this was a story about a man? I can't answer these questions but I do know it hit at my core. As it is for many women around the world questioning what our roles are evolving into. Questioning who and what are we becoming.
Mrs. Ina Drew, I wish you the best. Now is the time to reinvent yourself into whatever you see fit. You've worked hard to be in the position you're in now. Don't let anyone take that away from you. I know I'll be on the lookout for you wherever you resurface. Stronger. Better. And stripes well earned. Remembering always as Barbra Streisand says, "There are no mistakes. Only lessons to be learned."
