Eleanor Roosevelt lived by a strict moral code. She followed biblical principles, especially taking care of those in need, but was also very humble and non-judgmental when it came to the personal lives of others. She was honest with people and earned the trust and confidence of many. After Franklin died, several succeeding presidents went to Eleanor for advice. She was a devout life-long learner. As a teacher herself, she knew the value of education and never stopped learning and growing. She traveled all over the world gather information she used in decision making and education others.
When Eleanor was a young woman, she kept people, even her own husband and children, at a distance. However, living and working in the world of politics she was forced to form relationships. Most people perceived her as being warm and intelligent, and many were drawn to her. As she grew into middle age, she realized the importance of relationships. She was very fortunate to build long-term relationships with people who helped and inspired her.
Eleanor Roosevelt was a leader that all leaders, men and women, and look to for example. She not only understood change, but she created change to suit her purposes. She paid attention to what was going on around her and learned from people and situations. For example, she did not believe at first that creating the Jewish state of Israel was a good idea; displacing Arabs to make a homeland for displaced Jews. However, when she researched the situation she changed her mind and became a strong supporter of the nation of Israel, getting President Truman’s support as well. She changed role of First Lady as she maintained her own political presence, apart from her husband’s. She even held women-only press conferences during her years in the White House, 348 in all, to encourage newspapers to hire more female reporters.
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References:
Fleming, C (2005). Our Eleanor; A scrapbook look at Eleanor Roosevelt's remarkable life. New York City, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Freedman, R (1993). Eleanor Roosevelt: A life of discovery. New York City, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Qualities of Leadership
It is near impossible to put the character of Eleanor Roosevelt in a box when it comes to leadership characteristics. She strongly qualifies as a promoter, as she was deeply involved in the lives of people she worked with and those who she served. She was very forceful and aggressive when pursuing a cause which she believed in, and many described Eleanor as being warm and friendly, as well as persuasive and enthusiastic. She always strived to please others, frequently putting her own needs and desires on the back burner. This is an attribute of Eleanor’s secondary characteristic, supporter, which also describers her very well. Eleanor was an excellent listener. When she visited VA hospitals, she took the time to speak with every patient, asking for their name and story, and making each feel they were important. She was willing to take charge when needed, but was happy to acquiesce to the leadership of others. It was through the close, personal friendships Eleanor developed throughout her life that she gained the courage and self-confidence to be a leader. The combination of promoter and supporter attributes, along with many characteristics of a controller, helped mold Eleanor in the successful and influential leader she became.
There were a number of major turning points in Eleanor’s life. Her interest in helping those in need started when as a young child she helped to serve Thanksgiving dinner to homeless boys in New York. This passion grew when as a young woman she worked as a Red Cross volunteer at a canteen for American soldiers. Her interest in American government developed when she was traveling in Scotland and realized she could not answer questions about American government or politics. When she moved with her husband, Franklin, to Washington after his appointment as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Eleanor had an opportunity to join the political realm. Other turning points were more directly related to family. When Eleanor’s grandmother, Mary Hall, died in 1919, Eleanor, then 34, in considering Mary’s life, realized that a full life required doing much more than being just a wife and mother. This inspired her to follow her own political ambitions in addition to assisting her husband’s. She was further strengthened through the experience of helping her husband overcome polio and infantile paralysis (Fleming, 2005).
Failure and disappointments also helped to strengthen Eleanor and contribute to her growth as a woman and as a leader. The death of her second son gave Eleanor an increased desire to be a better mother to her children. When Franklin contracted polio, Eleanor seized the opportunity to both be both mother and father to her children and also to continue relationships with Franklin’s political contacts. I believe that her inability to secure visas for WWII refugees from Europe influenced Eleanor later to fight for the Jewish state of Israel. The many political battles they lost did not dissuade them but provided both Franklin and Eleanor incentive to keep working to forward their ideals (Freedman, 1993).
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References:
Fleming, C (2005). Our Eleanor; A scrapbook look at Eleanor Roosevelt's remarkable life. New York City, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Freedman, R (1993). Eleanor Roosevelt: A life of discovery. New York City, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
There were a number of major turning points in Eleanor’s life. Her interest in helping those in need started when as a young child she helped to serve Thanksgiving dinner to homeless boys in New York. This passion grew when as a young woman she worked as a Red Cross volunteer at a canteen for American soldiers. Her interest in American government developed when she was traveling in Scotland and realized she could not answer questions about American government or politics. When she moved with her husband, Franklin, to Washington after his appointment as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Eleanor had an opportunity to join the political realm. Other turning points were more directly related to family. When Eleanor’s grandmother, Mary Hall, died in 1919, Eleanor, then 34, in considering Mary’s life, realized that a full life required doing much more than being just a wife and mother. This inspired her to follow her own political ambitions in addition to assisting her husband’s. She was further strengthened through the experience of helping her husband overcome polio and infantile paralysis (Fleming, 2005).
Failure and disappointments also helped to strengthen Eleanor and contribute to her growth as a woman and as a leader. The death of her second son gave Eleanor an increased desire to be a better mother to her children. When Franklin contracted polio, Eleanor seized the opportunity to both be both mother and father to her children and also to continue relationships with Franklin’s political contacts. I believe that her inability to secure visas for WWII refugees from Europe influenced Eleanor later to fight for the Jewish state of Israel. The many political battles they lost did not dissuade them but provided both Franklin and Eleanor incentive to keep working to forward their ideals (Freedman, 1993).
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References:
Fleming, C (2005). Our Eleanor; A scrapbook look at Eleanor Roosevelt's remarkable life. New York City, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Freedman, R (1993). Eleanor Roosevelt: A life of discovery. New York City, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Overview of Eleanor Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the most influential people of the 20th century. Her relentless pursuit for the well-being of others led Eleanor through a remarkable life, through which she left a list of accomplishments probably never to be repeated. I chose her to write about because I have known her name all of my life, but really did not know much about her. I am glad that I took this opportunity to learn about such an amazing and dynamic person.
Though Eleanor was born into privilege, she had a rough childhood. Her mother was disappointed with Eleanor’s lack of beauty and made sure she knew it. Both of her parents died by the time Eleanor was 10 years old, and Mary Hall, Eleanor’s maternal grandmother, became her guardian. Mary Hall was strict and cruel guardian to her grandchildren and lacked affection. Eleanor was very shy and afraid of almost everything. Yet she overcame her fears and self doubts, and with the help and support of close friends she made over the course of her life accomplished more than many would in two lifetimes (Fleming, 2005).
What I admire most about Eleanor Roosevelt is her love for people. She worked tirelessly as a teacher, author, radio personality, and in many other areas. Her life’s work was to ease the lives of others and to provide comfort; almost all of the wages she earned were given to charity. It was her passion for improving situations for other people that led Eleanor into politics. She was instrumental in the enactment of the Social Security Act, civil rights and women’s rights. She worked to build homes for the poor, provide education to children, and fund public libraries (Fleming, 2005). Some of her accomplishments include:
- Educator (she was awarded life membership key from the NEA in 1938)
- Writer (published in the Harvard Law Review, and popular magazines including
- Good Housekeeping and Cosmopolitan)
- Author of more than a dozen books including 2 children’s books
- Radio personality (she was one of the highest paid radio personalities in the 1930’s, and earned the title “First Lady of Radio” from NBC.
- First American delegate to the United Nations
I found the life of Eleanor Roosevelt to be both awe inspiring and personally inspiring. She is quoted by Freedmen (1993) as saying, “About the only value the story of my life may have is to show that one can, even without any particular gifts, overcome obstacles that seem insurmountable if one is willing to face the fact that they must be overcome; that, in spite of timidity and fear, in spite of a lack of special talents, one can find a way to live widely and fully” (p.
3).
References:
Fleming, C (2005). Our Eleanor; A scrapbook look at Eleanor Roosevelt's remarkable life. New York City, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Freedman, R (1993). Eleanor Roosevelt: A life of discovery. New York City, NY: Scholastic, Inc.
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