In this special Women’s Day edition, we delve into the extraordinary journey of Maria Militsopoulou, the Founder of Women Empowerment Worldwide Leadership Org, and CEO/CVO of YouDream Tech Hub. Join us as Maria reflects on the significance of International Women’s Day, shares her professional journey, leadership style, and the women who inspire her. Discover the challenges and triumphs she faced, her unique leadership approach, and the recognition she received for her impactful contributions to the field.
Reflection on International Women’s Day: A Call for Action
International Women’s Day serves as a poignant reminder for Maria Militsopoulou of the relentless struggle that women have faced and continue to face worldwide in their pursuit of recognition and empowerment in a world where achievements often come through tough paths and at the same time as a call for action. Beginning from ancient times, where only a few women managed to carve their names in history for their wisdom, strategic skills, and spirit, such as Queen Artemisia of Greece, a naval commander, or Queen Cleopatra of Egypt, or Wu Zhao, also known as Empress Wu Zetian, the first and only woman emperor of China, to the Middle Ages where innovative women were accused and sacrificed by the masses as “witches” for daring to uphold a different spirit from their era, the journey of women has been charged with challenges and sacrifices. Today, women persist in fighting various battles, striving to juggle within the limiting 24 hours timeframe, work, family, obligations, the right to motherhood, mental health issues stemming from the lack of adequate information regarding self-protection, all while endeavoring to maintain their identity in a world that evolves and changes at a rapid pace. For Maria personally, International Women’s Day serves as a moment of reflection, honoring the courage and resilience of women throughout history who have paved the way for progress. Professionally, as the Founder of Women Empowerment Worldwide Leadership org, it reinforces her commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment where women are empowered to thrive, contribute, and lead without constraints or prejudice. Her call for action lies in building up a supportive ecosystem where the female leaders of tomorrow will discover and be able to reach a Transcendent path, learning how to navigate securely towards the new digital Era.
Professional Journey and Leadership Inspiration
Maria’s professional journey has been guided by her passion for analyzing human behavior and approaching life with a positive mindset. With her eyes always set on the future, she has consistently strived to identify patterns from every stage of her career, drawing inspiration and stimulation for growth along the way. This natural inclination for connecting the dots led her to integrate these aspects with the field of technology, embarking on a continuous evolutionary path spanning over 2 decades, filled with opportunities to leverage her leadership skills cultivated since a young age.
Throughout her career, she has been blessed to explore various critical sectors, including sales, marketing, creativity, management, training, research, and project management. She has thrived in roles where innovation was paramount, contributing to the development of new products and spearheading business initiatives. As the timing aligned, she took the bold step of founding her own Tech company, embracing the Hive Model, and later establishing the WEWiL.global organization while at the same time advocating for women in tech.
Embracing a Transcendent leadership approach, she has the privilege of serving as the Cyprus Country Chair for Humanity-Tech-Innovation within the G100 global organization and as Cyprus Senator for WBAF organization. These roles reflect her commitment in driving positive change and innovation on both local and global scales.
What inspired her to pursue leadership roles in her field was her deep desire to make a meaningful impact, drawing from her diverse experiences, and empowering others to achieve their full potential. Maria firmly believes that effective leadership involves fostering collaboration, nurturing talent, and driving innovation to create a brighter future for all.
Her journey in leadership began early on, during her college years, and has culminated in the maturity he possesses today.
She finds fulfillment in mentoring and preparing the next generation of female leaders for the future.
Women Leaders as Everyday Inspirations
Growing up in a generation where there were few female leadership role models, Maria forged her own independent profile through an incredible evolutionary journey, combined with her cognitive patterns and countless ups and downs along the path to personal development. Today, as a role model herself, she is driven by the foundation and promotion of female leadership for tomorrow’s success. Her sources of inspiration are everyday women who never give up, working tirelessly to make their dreams a reality, while raising their children with a sense of independence. Despite their endless struggles, they find reasons to smile, express gratitude, enhance their spirituality, and support others around them. This, to her, embodies true leadership.
Evolving Leadership Style: A Transcendent Approach
For Maria Transcendent leadership is about aligning actions with a higher purpose that transcends individual success. It’s about inspiring others to see the bigger picture and understand how their work contributes to a greater good or noble cause. This higher purpose gives meaning and direction to their efforts, instilling a sense of passion and fulfillment in what they do. Whether it’s creating positive change in the community, making a difference in people’s lives, or advancing social justice and environmental sustainability, transcendent leadership encourages something beyond themselves. It’s about leaving a lasting impact and creating a legacy that extends far beyond their immediate sphere of influence. Transcendent leadership is a commitment to continuous learning and personal growth, seeking feedback, and adapting to new circumstances and opportunities.
Qualities for Successful Leadership in Today’s Business Landscape
In today’s business environment, effective leadership requires a blend of qualities fostering personal and organizational growth. According to Maria, Leaders must articulate a compelling vision, rallying others around a shared purpose. Core values guide decisions, fostering authenticity and a culture of trust. Emotional intelligence, resilience, and effective communication deepen connections. Continuous learning and adaptation drive innovation. Impactful leadership extends beyond individual success, leaving a positive legacy of change. Faith in the mission fuels determination amid challenges.
Unique Challenges and Resilience in Leadership
As Maria was deeply immersed in leading the “Women Leading the Future” campaign, a motivational speaking tour aimed at attracting more young women to tech, while juggling the roles of CEO/CVO of YouDream Tech-hub and as a Positive Transcendent Leadership Mentor, an unexpected miracle came into her life: an unplanned pregnancy. With no extra support from her close environment, who all reside in another country, and already managing a heavy family schedule shared with her partner, she found herself facing yet another enormous challenge. Just six weeks before delivering the baby, the managers of the building where her company was headquartered decided, despite knowing her situation, that it was okay to give them a one-month notice to vacate the premises, opting last minute not to renew their lease contracts without any prior communication.
The news was shocking, especially during a period when finding suitable business premises in their city was a serious challenge. While the legal department took charge of the proceedings, she will never forget that leadership challenge. Despite the situation, she maintained her self-control, prioritizing staying in good psychological condition due to her pregnancy being in its final stages and ensuring at the same time that her colleagues and teammates wouldn’t feel any insecurities.
Transcendent protocols were immediately put into action, along with strategic planning and positive team mobilization. As if by miracle, a new space was quickly found, requiring though extensive renovation as everything needed to be torn down and rebuilt to meet the organization’s needs. She’ll never forget the unity, methodical approach, and positive mindset displayed by the team during such a difficult period and under the most adverse conditions, an experience that binding them even more.
Within a month, all expectations were exceeded as the renovation was successfully completed, and the technological equipment and staff were safely transferred to the brand-new offices, with a magnificent seaview as a seal of their success, without interrupting their operations and projects. Until the last day before entering the maternity ward, she was with them, coordinating and supporting the team.
This experience will stay with her forever for many reasons, one of them being how vulnerable a woman can feel regarding her right to motherhood while simultaneously continuing to pursue her career, especially in C-level positions where responsibilities are immense and the struggle is greater to maintain work-life balance. It was during this time that the vision of the organization “women empowerment worldwide leadership” was born, alongside motherhood. From that day onwards, she is developing the Organization, as a second baby.
Recognition and Industry Contributions
Maria has been honored to receive recognition and accolades for her contributions to the field, including being appointed as Cyprus Senator for WBAF and as a Committee Member of Global Women Leaders. She was recognized as one of the 100 Top Global Women Entrepreneurs to be Inspired in 2023. The zenith of her efforts was reached with receiving the prestigious Women of the Decade Award from the Women Economic Forum (WEF), acknowledging her significant impact and leadership in empowering women. Additionally, she was honored as one of the World’s Iconic Visionary Women Leaders Re-shaping the Future in 2023 by the World’s Leaders Magazine, highlighting her visionary leadership and commitment to driving positive change. She was also nominated for the 2023 Best Executive Coach award, a testament to her dedication to coaching and mentoring individuals to unlock their full potential and achieve their goals.
