Christine Lagarde quotes

You know, when I sit in meetings and things are very tense and people take things extremely seriously and they invest a lot of their ego, I sometimes think to myself, 'Come on, you know, there's life and there's death and there is love.' And all of that ego business is nonsense compared to that. (Christine Lagarde)

I hate to say there are female and male ways of dealing with power, because I think each of us has a male and a female part. But based on my own experience, women will tend to be inclusive, to reach out more, to care a little more.

Christine Lagarde

To me, leadership is about encouraging people. It's about stimulating them. It's about enabling them to achieve what they can achieve - and to do that with a purpose.

Christine Lagarde

I learned that you can constantly improve, and that you should not be shy about your views, and about the direction that you believe is right.

Christine Lagarde

The financial industry is a service industry. It should serve others before it serves itself.

Christine Lagarde

It's become my brand in a way you know, speaking the truth even though it was not politically correct.

Christine Lagarde

I think more of the little kids from a school in a little village in Niger who get teaching two hours a day, sharing one chair for three of them, and who are very keen to get an education. I have them in my mind all the time. Because I think they need even more help than the people in Athens.

Christine Lagarde

I'm not in the business of reading tea leaves. I don't have a crystal ball.

Christine Lagarde

I was praised in the U.S. and heavily, brutally criticized in France.

Christine Lagarde

I'm very much a believer that it's action that matters much more so than, you know, the flurry of political promises and statements and slogans that are used during political campaigns.

Christine Lagarde

There is a very strong linkage between U.S. banks and European banks. There are plenty of European employees that are employed by U.S. companies, and there are plenty of U.S. employees that are employed by European companies. (Christine Lagarde)

I think there are multiple studies now to demonstrate that diversity, a better balance between genders, but also between different fields as well, is actually conducive to better growth, better bottom line, better results.

Christine Lagarde

When my father passed away and then when later on I gave birth, those are sort of ground-breaking experiences that put everything else into perspective.

Christine Lagarde

I love cooking. Not for myself alone. Cooking is about giving.

Christine Lagarde

The Europeans governments have massively changed the landscape in Europe. There is no doubt about it. They have put together the European Financial Stability Fund. They have discussed and approved the European Stability Mechanism.

Christine Lagarde

Regulation is necessary, particularly in a sector, like the banking sector, which exposes countries and people to a risk.

Christine Lagarde

You are never wrong when you have voted because you've acted in accordance with your conscience and your beliefs, and you've exercised your democratic right, which is, you know, perfectly legitimate in our democracies.

Christine Lagarde

As far as Athens is concerned, I also think about all those people who are trying to escape tax all the time. All these people in Greece who are trying to escape tax.

Christine Lagarde

Every day, you have to prove yourself and convince - move forward and challenge yourself. And doubt all the time.

Christine Lagarde

I have a theory that women are generally given space and appointed to jobs when the situation is tough. I've observed that in many instances. In times of crisis, women eventually are called upon to sort out the mess, face the difficult issues and be completely focused on restoring the situation.

Christine Lagarde

It's a question of not so much pushing the boys out of the picture, but making the whole frame bigger so that both men and women access the labor market, contribute to the economy, generate growth, have jobs, and so on. (Christine Lagarde)

I look under the skin of countries' economies, and I help them make better decisions and be stronger, to prosper and create employment.

Christine Lagarde

I guess economists, it's a bit like scientists; you have definitely fewer women in that field.

Christine Lagarde