At the just concluded 2018 FIFA world cup in Russia, Croatian president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović’s gave not just a colourful appearance to the tournament, but also leaves indelible leadership marks for others to follow.
The Croatian president stole hearts in Russia , she came across as a very attractive woman who openly showcased her love and respect for her country.
Background:
Grabar-Kitarovic was born on April 29, 1968, in Rijeka in the Croatian part of Yugoslavia.
The Croatian president, 50, signed up to a student exchange programme while at school, spending a year at Los Alamos High School in New Mexico.
She later studied in Zagreb, Vienna, Washington DC and Havard, before completing her doctoral studies in her home country in 2015.
Grabar-Kitarovic is fluent in Croatian, English, Spanish and Portuguese, while she has some understanding of German, French and Italian.
Kolinda Grabar married Jakov Kitarovic in 1996, with whom she had two children.
Her daughter, 17-year-old Katarina, is a junior national champion figure skater, while the couple’s son Luka was born in 2003.
Mr Kitarovic was a part of scandal while his wife was serving in Washington DC in 2010, having been spotted using an embassy car for private purposes.
Despite Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic claiming she works 24 hours a day, she paid the expenses for Jakov’s unauthorised use of the vehicle
Career:
Grabar-Kitarović speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese fluently in addition to her native Croatian and has an understanding of Italian, French and German as well. Croatia also has a prime minister who is in charge of the government while the president leads the parliament and is the head of state.
Grabar-Kitarović is 50 years old, according to her official biography, and was elected Croatia’s fourth president in January 2015. She is the first woman to ever hold the title of president for the eastern European country. Prior to becoming Croatia President, she was the first woman to ever hold the title of assistant secretary general for public diplomacy in NATO.
In the NATO circle she is known as SWAMBO. That is she who must be obeyed, known as a no nonsense woman.
Croatia President attended multiple universities in Europe as well as the United States and was awarded a Fulbright scholarship for pre-doctoral research on international relations and security policy at George Washington University in the U.S., according to her presidential biography.
She’s held multiple roles that involved her with Croatia’s diplomatic connections to other countries throughout the world including in North America in her role as the Ambassador of Croatia to the U.S.
But that’s not all, there are many other reasons why Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic is an absolute president goal, discover why:
Fashionable and energetic:
Dressed in a red-and-white team jersey, Grabar-Kitarović spent most of the game [final between France and Croatia] on her feet, cheering in support of a squad that ultimately lost the final 4-2.
Before being invited into the VIP box as a guest of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Grabar-Kitarović watched every single one of her team’s appearances from the stands with fellow Croatia fans.
She has created a fashion trend by proudly wearing the Croatian colors (red and white) in her outfits, not only in sports events.
She is 50 years old but she is known as the hottest president in the world. She has admitted that people often confuse her to be the American model, Coco
Supportive till the end
When it was over and Croatia was left to reckon with the deeply disappointing defeat, Grabar-Kitarović was as present and supportive as she’d been during their ascent. She embraced a shattered Modric after he was presented with the Golden Ball, the tournament’s most valuable player award.
A hard rain started to fall during the final award ceremony. As handlers rushed to put umbrellas up over the heads of Putin and other dignitaries, Grabar-Kitarović stood in the rain to shake the hand of every player on both teams.
Being willing to stand up and project a steady and positive presence in times of disappointment is one of a leader’s most important tasks.
The late South African president Nelson Mandela was an advocate of this view. “It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur,” goes one quote widely attributed to the late leader. “You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.”
Consoling a losing soccer team hardly counts as danger, nor is it the most challenging part of Grabar-Kitarović’s office. But projecting a sense of unity and unwavering commitment is a necessary and important part of the job. (Grabar-Kitarović is Croatia’s head of state, not its head of government, a role currently filled by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.)
Conserved Croatia’s resources
She refused to take any payment for the days she was in Russia to support the national team. She also flew economy class where she sat with the rest of the citizens. She paid the flight with her money.
She was the most supportive president in the 2018 World Cup. Kolinda went into the Croatian changing room before the quarter finals and semifinal matches, just to motivate the team, interestingly, they won both matches. Even after their loss to France in the final match, she looked very grateful and hugging every Croatian team player.
She gives gifts to every president she meets, even the most powerful ones. Usually these presents are customized jerseys of the Croatian football team, like the ones she gave to Putin during World Cup and Trump during the NATO Summit.
She is kind with the citizens. During a particular prize-giving ceremony, she helped out a man whose trousers feel down just as he was receiving an important award from her.
