Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
You might not believe this, but it’s true: one of the most loved and most popular Sarajevan women, is a Belgrade born girl, Zvezdana Žujo. The executive director of agency Communis Sarajevo came to Sarajevo twenty years ago and won over her new fellow citizens with her distinctive qualities. She’s known as a loyal friend and an ethical manager. She is also known as a great and dedicated worker. Even today her friends remember the title of the interview in Media Marketing a few years ago. “At Three O’clock in the Morning, Only Traffic Lights and Communis Work in Sarajevo”. And that kind of work is the reason why Communis is now one of the most creative and successful advertising agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Here’s how Zvezdana explains the supremacy of women in the advertising industry: “The whole world is constantly changing and it’s becoming increasingly clear that for economic development, and perhaps the survival of the species and the planet, fundamental changes are necessary. The tendency to increase the role of women in the economy and business is widespread. The level of education of women throughout the world is also growing, and so there are many more women studying at universities than men. There is also an enormous increase in the number of women in the top positions of international companies, international organizations and national governments.”
After this lucid explanation, Zvezdana moves on to the local, or regional context: “Many examples from the region confirm that women can be equally successful as men, that they can lead business and manage. I don’t think that women are in a subordinate position compared with men. The only question is how much one wants to work and fight for one’s position in one’s personal and business life.”
And we shouldn’t forget the traditional female virtues. “Our profession is really beautiful, dynamic and innovative, so it’s no wonder that it attracts women. As more attention is paid to eliciting deep emotions in communicating with consumers, women are increasingly coming to the fore. I think it’s because they have a few more emotional sensors than the male population. I generally don’t make significant differentiations between the genders, I think it all depends on the person – their ambition, desire, the support of their environment, education…”
The fact that this profession is on the whole mostly run by men still remains unexplained, and that is why we are interested in Zvezdana’s answer to the question: What has happened in the traditionally patriarchal Balkans? “Our region is particular in many ways. Here even the impossible is possible, and the impossible becomes possible. So much diversity in such a small space is apparently normal to us. We grew up with diversity and accepted it all, even the illogicalities. Being a business woman in our region can be tiring and beautiful at the same time. Maybe we are more emotional, shed a tear when no one’s watching (and when they do). Men, it seems to me, find it a little easier to go through life. They accept both success and failure more easily. They are more pragmatic.”
But women are not easily forgiven for that which is encouraged and rewarded in men: “I recently read that the women from the Balkans are not forgiven for their success, and are not encouraged to be ambitious from childhood. We get toys such as toy irons, dishes, kitchens and dolls to care for. And boys get toy cars, trucks, building blocks to build houses, buildings, factory halls. Women with a strong personality and ambition encounter many unpleasant social and emotional situations, but they are overcoming this more and more. Even the situation in the Balkans is clearly not what it once was. Women have proven that they can compete in a man’s world of leadership and management.”
And how do men react to this desirable expansion of women? Another interesting answer: “Research shows, and daily practice confirms, that when one sex monopolizes a profession, the other one gives up competing. But I still think that we all have the same goal, and who will reach the goal first and take the medal is not a matter of the winner’s gender, but of who is more daring, more resilient, who has more energy, and, in the end, luck.”
Zvezdana Žujo definitely believes in a business miracle in the Balkans, adding that it’s not important who will make it come about. “I want the Balkans to become a paradise for entrepreneurship and for this paradise to have enough room for all capable women and men. This world would be a boring place to live in if it weren’t for them. A few years ago we were working on an event for women only, that was the brief from the client, and I have to admit that it was extremely unusual, and illogical. The old adage says that behind every successful man is a woman. I also believe that behind every successful woman there is a man. Their connection doesn’t matter, it isn’t necessarily a husband, a partner. It can be a father, a brother, a friend. Does it matter who makes this heaven? Of course not, it’s important to enjoy the paradise.”
And these are not the only indications that good things are really happening in the Balkans and that there is finally something that Europe can learn from us. “In our good old Balkans there are a lot of good and positive things, and even, as you say, a driving force for the rest of the world. There are statistics which claim that the percentage of women in management positions is less, say, in Germany than in our environment. I don’t think we know how to send positive news and our glowing examples out into the world.”
“Women lead with the soul,” says Zvezdana, answering the question of what characterizes companies run by women. “Of course, one’s work experiences differ anyhow, depending on the person in charge of the company, regardless of whether it’s a man or a woman. I often hear from women that it’s easier to work with men.”
Zvezdana is regarded as a successful manager who is never afraid of any challenge or problem. We wonder what was crucial to her success. “I chose my collaborators exclusively for their professional competencies, skills, personal qualities and commitment. In work, I never acted as a woman as such, but only as a representative of my industry, and I believe I thus ensured that I was treated the same way. For success today you need less effort, but it takes much more hard work than before to maintain that success. To win a client is certainly a success, but to keep that client for years is the real challenge. We are seeing many drastic ups and downs. I’m a proponent of not having unreasonably high goals. I have no desire to rule the industry, to be the best, because it’s all relative. As well as that, regardless of your success, you should never avoid any kind of work, whether it’s making coffee, arranging your desk, copying, phone calls … I continue to do all that when I can, and I don’t think it makes me less of a boss, but a better worker.”
TOYS FOR BOYS AND GIRLS: “I recently read that women from the Balkans are not forgiven for their success and are not encouraged to be ambitious from childhood. We get toys such as toy irons, dishes, kitchens and dolls to care for. And boys get toy cars, trucks, building blocks to build houses, buildings, factory halls. Women with a strong personality and ambition encounter many unpleasant social and emotional situations, but they are overcoming this more and more.”
Perhaps that’s why we got a bit of a different answer to the question of how she stimulates high-quality people. “I read in a book that we reward good associates by giving them more tasks. We probably do that by following the well-established practice of taking the easy road: I know that this associate will definitely do a good job. Unfortunately, this still influences me sometimes. I’m aware that it’s not a good decision, but it’s definitely easier. With the speed of the life that we all lead, errors are unavoidable. Essentially, I do know how to criticize but I also know how to give praise. To reward and to punish. That’s life.”
Who are the women who inspire Zvezdana? “Ordinary people, if I may so call them. Mothers, wives, daughters. Not necessarily celebrities. These women didn’t invent a cure for cancer or the latest theory of relativity, but they are fighting every day with the same strength and zeal. I truly admire women who are working full steam at work, who raise three or four children, and still take care of themselves and don’t forget they are still, somewhere inside, the gentler sex.”
To sum up: what is the true power of women? “We shouldn’t strive for equality at all costs. Women and men are different. This diversity is their richness and complementarity. That’s the beauty of our life together.”