Maria Kiwanuka’s recipe for succeeding as a career woman

“I do not think there are any set principles of being a successful career woman. Everybody is different. You just have to know what you want within the framework of what you can achieve. Believing in yourself, I think, is paramount.

A successful woman must have a majority-focused mindset. You are not a minority, you are a majority. You are 52 per cent of the population and since when is 52 per cent a minority? It is important to have confidence in the idea and vision that you tend to convey. You must show confidence and ability in order to do the task even when you feel that you are at your most vulnerable.

You must be persistent and I say persistent, persevere during all times of hardships. Every successful leader has had a time when they have been told no, but continue to follow their vision anyway.

Persistence is very important especially if you feel you want to be a leader. As regards my two radio stations, I must tell you of how many sunrises I saw come over Kampala, from my vintage point on Naguru hill.

Once, I had to call my clients to tell them that “Sorry, I am off air and your advertisements will not be running at a particular time but I will make it up to you once the transmitter gets back on.”

When we talk about women getting ahead, we must not forget about the men. They are part of the equation too. We must never ever view each other differently but rather as partners and people to learn from each other.
Women must work and try harder. You have to try to be that more successful than the men. You must not mind having to go that extra mile. You must have a way of exciting your competitive muscle. Opportunities come and go often with incredible speed but you must be ready to take each opportunity as it presents itself. And you know what? Every problem can be an opportunity and it all depends on how you look at it.

Once, when I was going for my first job interview, one of my interviewers from the World Bank asked me “Why do you think we should employ you?” He asked the question in a bit of sneering way. I wanted to cry but fought back the tears and said, “You can employ me because I am your market and from the Third World.

I am a woman, you are a man but from the First World and do not live in the Third World, so I can tell you what your market is.” It was these remarks that made me get a job thereafter.

Behind every successful woman, there is a team, a great supportive network. You can never do everything by yourself. We must surround ourselves with people who can elevate and add skills in our lives. I mean those who can inspire us and guide us towards success.
We must liberate other people’s abilities in order to get ahead more so because we only have 24 hours in a day.

As women, we must also embrace our feminine side. You do not have to act like a man in order to get ahead in life. Our roles as mothers, wives and daughters are still as much vital.

We must realise that we draw as much energy from our families as we give back to them. I would like to pay tribute to my father who always believed that his daughter would always do well just as the boys or even better. He ensured that I studied mathematics and science.

I would also like to pay tribute to my mother who was left as a widow with six children with me being the eldest in Senior Four. She drove herself to bring all of us up, educate us and would never let us have any form of self-defect.

I thank my husband as well for his continuous strong support and the three young men who call me “Mama”. Those rose up to the challenge of growing up in different countries often far from home. They made sure that they gave me enough space so that I could do whatever it took in order to get ahead in life.

I thank you boys and I love you.”
-Compiled by Esther Oluka