Fortune Favors The Brave – Remembering Madeleine Albright
Posted on Apr. 25, 2022 / Subscribe 0
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright passed away at the age of eighty-four in March. America has lost an icon. But Albright was more than just an icon, she was a role model. No different than Muhammad Ali or Betty White, she, too, inspired millions with her point-blank style of diplomacy. As PR pros we can admire her career of clear and concise communication.
Fleeing the Fuhrer
Albright was many things. Weak was not one of them. Born in communist Czechoslovakia, she and her family fled the country, lived as refugees in England and finally made it to the United States in 1948.
But the story of the Albright family goes back much further. Contrary to widespread belief, the Albrights were never a Christian family, but a Jewish one. Her parents converted in 1941, and three of Albright’s grandparents perished at the hands of the Nazis. In fact, Madeleine Albright is not even her real name. She was born Marie Jana Korbelova, and she escaped the grip of the Nazis at the age of eleven.
Every Glass Ceiling Needs a Hammer
Albright was a woman. This may sound like saying the obvious, but the United States has been slower than most countries when it comes to electing women to public office. In other words, Albright was able to do what few women in history were able to do: she shattered the glass ceiling. By breaking the glass ceiling, Albright paved the way for other women to follow her.
Sending a Message
But, most of all, Albright broke the mold when it came to how women carried themselves in the public sphere. Albright even said, "I was representing the United States, so it was important that I looked dignified, but I also loved dressing like a woman.”
A prime example of this was her jewelry. Jewelry, especially brooches, were the hallmark of Albright’s time in office. She wore these brooches as a source of leverage, delivering powerful messages in subtle ways. When meeting with Yasser Arafat, she wore a bee to deliver a sharp message. When meeting with the Russians, she wore a bug because of how the Russians bugged a room in the State Department. And when Hilary Clinton announced she was running for President, she wore a cluster of glass shards because of the glass ceiling that Clinton had shattered.
The life of Madeleine Albright was filled with the stuff of fairy tales, fables, and mythology. But, Albright’s influence is rooted in the fact that her story is real. Fairy tales teach us that we can overcome challenges. Repeatedly, Albright was faced with real life obstacles and had a choice to make: run away in cowardice or charge forward in bravery. Albright consistently chose the latter, and in doing so, she both served as an example for others to emulate and was led to the heights of success. Never has anyone told bedtime stories to children about the person who ran away from danger in fear. Instead, we tell the stories of the heroines who ran forward and faced the danger head-on. Because fortune favors the brave; and I know we’ll be telling Madeline Albright’s story forever because of the impact she made on us as communicators!
Anthony Russo is a member of PRSA Detroit’s Blog Committee. He is a recent graduate from Michigan State University and is currently an MBA student at Wayne State’s Ilitch School of Business.
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