Mendi Kabashi/
I never had the opportunity to properly share what this experience meant to me. Being invited to speak at Women Who Build gave me the opportunity to reflect on a question that has followed me through almost every chapter of my life:
What does it really mean to be strong?
At 17, I left home and entered military officer training in Italy. For five years, discipline, responsibility and resilience became part of my everyday life. But one of the greatest lessons I carried away from those years had very little to do with physical strength. It was learning that I did not have to lose myself in order to become a leader.
I didn’t have to become harder to become stronger. I didn’t have to sacrifice compassion for conviction, or femininity for authority. That lesson followed me through government service, immigration, motherhood, community leadership, and now into public service here in Mississauga. On that stage, I shared something I believe even more strongly today:
“Leadership is not about wearing a uniform. Leadership is about knowing who you are before the world tells you who you should become.” And the message closest to my heart: “We don’t build by becoming someone else. We build by having the courage to remain ourselves.” Looking back at this moment now, those words carry an entirely new meaning for me.
Because today, I am building again.
Building a campaign.
Building relationships with my neighbours.
Building a vision for stronger communities.
Building a kind of public service rooted in discipline, compassion, integrity and courage.
And as I look back on this experience, I also want to take a moment to extend a heartfelt thank you to Nadiya Yashan for inviting me to be part of Women Who Build, for creating a space where women can share their experiences and learn from one another, and for the beautiful Certificate of Appreciation recognizing my contribution as a speaker. Thank you as well to Business Woman Pro Canada and to every woman I had the opportunity to meet that evening.
Some experiences become even more meaningful when you look back and realize they were preparing you for what came next.