Paperjam Club: Can you give us your definition of the concept of ‘leadership’?

Djuna Bernard: The definition of leadership: a leader is a person who influences others, inspires, supports the personal development of his or her followers.

If you had to assign yourself a qualifying term among ‘leader’, ‘mentor’ and ‘influencer’, which one would you choose? Why? 

Personally, I would call myself more of an influencer, even if I make decisions of great responsibility by working and passing laws for an entire country, I see myself less as a leader than as a person who wants to have an impact on other people.

I want to inspire people to get involved, to change their habits, to become more environmentally responsible, to be interested and to experience politics and political choices on a daily basis.

What do you think is the best way to showcase leadership as a woman?

Particularly as a woman leader, I see an additional responsibility to raise my voice for other women, who are not listened to in the same way as I am. For vulnerable women, but also for women who hesitate to take on responsibilities because they think they have fewer opportunities in a world now marked by patriarchy.

By showing that this is feasible, and that female leadership clearly shows positive aspects in comparison with male leadership, I think that we, as ‘female leaders’, are real role models.

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This interview was translated from an article on Paperjam.lu.