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.
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Deb,
ReplyDeleteEleanor was quite a remarkable lady. She has left her mark on America, and around the world, through her hard work and leadership. You stated that an education was paramount in the success of her and others around her. Our leaders share this same view and both made it a point to devote much of their time to making improvements to the current system and giving people greater opportunities to become educated. They both are great models for future leaders to exemplify.
Matt
HI Deb,
ReplyDeleteThrough your post I was impressed with the many strong leadership characteristics that Eleanor displayed and that you brought to the forefront. As Fullan suggests moral purpose is a critical leadership trait. It was obvious that she had this characteristic in all aspects of her life. Trust is so important for any relationship and that is no different with leadership. Your example of the many presidents who sought her advise is a perfect example of how she was trusted.
I found it interesting that she was not a big fan of relation ships early in her life. As you stated that she came to understand the importance of realtionships; this becomes an example of her appreciation for life long learning. Thank you for sharing Eleanor's story!
Dave
Deb,
ReplyDeleteIt’s great to hear that she was a fellow educator and she used her role to help the under priviledged. We need more people like her in the political world. The fact that many people went to her for advice after her husband died showed that she was a women of great knowledge. Our leaders share the same strict more codes of helping those in need. I enjoyed reading about Eleanor and her accomplishments.
Mike
Hi Deb,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great person to choose! I love the fact that she was a fellow educator and a life long learner! It is too bad that she is not alive today to spread her beliefs on education...it would definitely be interesting, considering funds that are being cut in the budget.
Holly