Gennifer George
L A 497A
Leadership
Eleanor Roosevelt came from wealth, but money does not make you happy, nor
does it guarantee that you will become a leader. Ms. Roosevelt had a traumatizing
childhood, but found herself while being mentored by Mlle. Marie Souvreste in London.
The three years she spent in London turned her entire life and destiny around.
In
Authentic Leadership Development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership,
authors W. L. Gardner & B. Avolio explain that, “self-awareness is not a destination
point, but rather an emerging process where one continually comes to understand his or
her unique talents, strengths, sense of purpose, core values, beliefs and desires”
(Avolio & Gardner, 2005, p.324). Eleanor Roosevelt did not wake up one morning to
discover that she was a good leader; instead, she learned, through mentorship, both
from Souvreste and Louis Howe, that she already possessed the talents and skills of
leadership, she just needed to learn to use them properly. Many people have the skills
to become a good leader, but often, they don’t know that they have them.
I obviously cannot compare myself to Eleanor Roosevelt; however, I found that
our lives held some similarities (minus the money) while reading Eleanor Roosevelt:
Ordinariness and Extraordinariness. I also had a childhood that was traumatic, but was
able to escape it thanks to a dear friend. I was also shown a better example of a family.
This example helped me to overcome my childhood and be a much better parent to my
children. I married young and after being married for almost twenty years, discovered
that my husband had been unfaithful on numerous occasions. Unlike Ms. Roosevelt, I
walked away, however, if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have discovered myself. Everyone’s path
is different, and as Ms. Roosevelt once said, different routes are required by different
people in order to find “things about yourself that will add to your confidence and
competence as a leader” (Gerber, 200, p.277). Walking away from the love of my life
was emotionally crippling, however, it was necessary for me to move forward. At
eighteen, I had wanted to be a lawyer, but at forty, all I had become was a wife, mother,
and secretary. Like Eleanor Roosevelt, “I really grew up that year.” (Gardner & Laskin,
1995, p.188).
Eleanor Roosevelt overcame very traumatic events throughout her lifetime. Her
husband cheated on her, and she chose to remain married to him. Her husband
became extremely ill and rather than let him remain an invalid, she worked hard to bring
him back to health so that he could continue his political career. Rather than use these
tragic events as an excuse for failures in her life, she used them to pull herself up and
become the person that she wanted to be.
Works Cited
Avolio, B., and W. Gardner. "Authentic Leadership Development: Getting to the Root of
Positive Forms of Leadership." The Leadership Quarterly 16.3 (2005): 315-38.
Print.
Gardner, Howard, and Emma Laskin. "Eleanor Roosevelt: Ordinariness and
Extraordinariness." Leading Minds: An Anatomy of Leadership. New York, NY:
Basic, 1995. 183-202. Print.
Gerber, Robin. Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way: Timeless Strategies from the
First Lady of Courage. New York: Prentice Hall, 2002. Print.