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| Hillary Clinton advises women to take criticism 'seriously but not personally' | Hillary Clinton advises women to take criticism 'seriously but not personally' |
| (7 months later) | |
| Women in public life still have their leadership styles subjected to extra scrutiny and criticism, Hillary Clinton said on Thursday, as she advised ambitious women to take former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s advice and “grow a skin like a rhinoceros”. | |
| The former US secretary of state said she had learned from “a lot of missteps” during her career that while the eccentricities of male leaders had been celebrated for decades, “we are still developing what are the acceptable styles of leadership for women”. | The former US secretary of state said she had learned from “a lot of missteps” during her career that while the eccentricities of male leaders had been celebrated for decades, “we are still developing what are the acceptable styles of leadership for women”. |
| “I think you have to be so intentionally thoughtful about that as you assume a role in the public arena, without it making you less authentic or undermining your confidence,” she told an audience at New York University (NYU) on Thursday morning. “And that is not easy.”Clinton faced questions about her “likeability” during her failed campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. A rare, tearful show of emotion during an event in New Hampshire was analysed endlessly and even credited for her primary victory there. More recently she was variously criticised for not showing sufficient remorse for the victims of the attack on the American diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, in September 2012 and for becoming overly emotional during her testimony on the incident to a Senate committee last year. | “I think you have to be so intentionally thoughtful about that as you assume a role in the public arena, without it making you less authentic or undermining your confidence,” she told an audience at New York University (NYU) on Thursday morning. “And that is not easy.”Clinton faced questions about her “likeability” during her failed campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. A rare, tearful show of emotion during an event in New Hampshire was analysed endlessly and even credited for her primary victory there. More recently she was variously criticised for not showing sufficient remorse for the victims of the attack on the American diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, in September 2012 and for becoming overly emotional during her testimony on the incident to a Senate committee last year. |
| She said on Thursday that despite women in politics gradually enjoying more freedom to act and even dress differently, they were still expected to conform more than men, while the unique styles of Winston Churchill and president Franklin Roosevelt had been celebrated 70 years ago. | She said on Thursday that despite women in politics gradually enjoying more freedom to act and even dress differently, they were still expected to conform more than men, while the unique styles of Winston Churchill and president Franklin Roosevelt had been celebrated 70 years ago. |
| Having faced sharp criticism for the chaotic management of her 2008 campaign, which saw her defeated by Barack Obama, Clinton also signalled that she had become more open to advice as she contemplated mounting a second bid for the White House in 2016. | Having faced sharp criticism for the chaotic management of her 2008 campaign, which saw her defeated by Barack Obama, Clinton also signalled that she had become more open to advice as she contemplated mounting a second bid for the White House in 2016. |
| “It is important to learn how to take criticism seriously but not personally,” she said. While stressing that some detractors will be operating from “an agenda”, she added: “Critics can be your best friends if you listen to them, and learn from them, but don’t get dragged down by them”. | “It is important to learn how to take criticism seriously but not personally,” she said. While stressing that some detractors will be operating from “an agenda”, she added: “Critics can be your best friends if you listen to them, and learn from them, but don’t get dragged down by them”. |
| Clinton, who insists she has not yet decided if she will run again, consistently polls far ahead of her early potential rivals for the 2016 Democratic nomination, including vice-president Joe Biden. A Marist poll published on Wednesday found that she scored more than 50% of support in hypothetical general election match-ups “regardless of her Republican opponent”. | Clinton, who insists she has not yet decided if she will run again, consistently polls far ahead of her early potential rivals for the 2016 Democratic nomination, including vice-president Joe Biden. A Marist poll published on Wednesday found that she scored more than 50% of support in hypothetical general election match-ups “regardless of her Republican opponent”. |
| She appeared at NYU with her daughter, Chelsea, and the philanthropist Melinda Gates, to promote a joint initiative by the Clinton and Gates foundations that aims to ensure “full participation for women and girls in the 21st century” around the world. | She appeared at NYU with her daughter, Chelsea, and the philanthropist Melinda Gates, to promote a joint initiative by the Clinton and Gates foundations that aims to ensure “full participation for women and girls in the 21st century” around the world. |
| She urged society to address what she called “the perfectionist problem”, which she said afflicted girls from their middle school years and limited their ability excel during “a period where they begin to doubt themselves”. | She urged society to address what she called “the perfectionist problem”, which she said afflicted girls from their middle school years and limited their ability excel during “a period where they begin to doubt themselves”. |
| Lamenting the “doubts and uncertainties that plague even highly qualified women,” she said: “I have employed by this time a lot of very talented young men and young women. | Lamenting the “doubts and uncertainties that plague even highly qualified women,” she said: “I have employed by this time a lot of very talented young men and young women. |
| “And offering a promotion or expanded responsibilities to a young woman almost always provokes a response something like ‘Oh I don’t know if I can do that’ or ‘Are you sure I could do that’ or ‘I’m not positive I could take that on,’” she said. “I have never heard that from a young man.” | “And offering a promotion or expanded responsibilities to a young woman almost always provokes a response something like ‘Oh I don’t know if I can do that’ or ‘Are you sure I could do that’ or ‘I’m not positive I could take that on,’” she said. “I have never heard that from a young man.” |