childhood training for the corporate world

Wilma is 48, married but childless, and she's on the board of directors of several corporations. She feels that she was born to wield power by virtue of being the oldest child in the family.

"I've never known what it's like to be the underdog," laughs Wilma, "and I make damn sure that I never do!"

"Being the first born child in any family confers extraordinary power very early in life," says Wilma. "Leadership is almost a god-given vocation or destiny for first borns!"

" And rather than becoming a benevolent despot like many big sisters I became a malevolent despot!"

"I learned how to use the power of my prime position in the family for personal advantage - and I've been using that power ever since to make my mark on the world."

"Yes," admits Wilma, "I am cunning and manipulative but what's wrong with that? How many people in positions of power aren't like that? And do you think I would have attracted my gazillion dollar husband if I wasn't like that?"

"As a child I got away with murder - well, very close to murder - by setting up my little sisters to take the rap for me," admits Wilma.

"I emerged smelling like a rose in every bad situation and I still do!"

"My parents would always take my word against theirs in any situation," laughs Wilma, "and it soon got to a stage where my sisters wouldn't even try to defend themselves."

"My childhood was great training ground for the corporate world," says Wilma, "and I wouldn't be surprised if most of the men and women at the top had prime position in their families like I did."

"When I had my sisters under my thumb," says Wilma, "I'd play games on them just for the hell of it."

"I'd pretend to befriend them while all the time I'd be doing something nasty to them," laughs Wilma.

"I set them up to mistrust each other and I really enjoyed spoiling everything they loved."

"There are only a few winners in this world," says Wilma, "and I made absolutely sure that I was the only winner in my family. Since then, nobody - absolutely nobody - has ever got close to outsmarting or outshining me."

"When either of my sisters came close to achieving anything I'd do something - on the sly - to spoil it for them. They were forever losing things - school projects, art works, homework, new clothes, presents, letters, photographs - you name it, whatever they cherished I destroyed."

"They never found out that I was responsible for all of their mishaps," laughs Wilma. "And nobody can pin similar mishaps in the business world on me either!"