This morning, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president of Liberia, was named one of three winners of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, in honor of her work promoting nonviolent change. Her co-awardees are peace activist Leymah Gbowee, also of Liberia, and Tawakul Karman, who works for democracy in Yemen.

Just before last year’s TEDWomen conference, co-host Pat Mitchell sat down with Sirleaf for an intimate Q&A. In this 3-minute video, she talks about some of the leadership challenges a woman faces — and her unofficial sobriquet: Liberia’s “Iron Lady” …

Watch Pat Mitchell’s full 22-minute interview with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, from the Paley Center for Media‘s website.

(Pat Mitchell will be hosting this year’s TEDxWomen, a one-day event on Dec. 1, at the Paley Centers for Media in New York and LA — and streaming live to TEDx events around the globe.)