Eleanor Roosevelt

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During a time when men were in charge of the political arena , one woman stands out as a symbol of leadership . While she held no official political office , Eleanor Roosevelt stepped above the expected duties of the First Lady , and forged a name for herself as one of the greatest female leaders of all time . Reluctant and unsure of herself at first , in a relatively short amount of time , she was making her voice heard making her voice be heard not only in the United States , but

around the world . She took it upon herself to champion the causes of those who were all but ignored , insisting that their voices be heard and that their difficulties did not get swept under the rug . She became a force to be reckoned with , and in encouraging others to stand up and be heard , she made a definite place in history for herself , becoming a role model for women everywhere

Eleanor Roosevelt started out her career as First Lady with many reservations about her ability to do the position justice . She wanted to make a difference and support her husband to the best of her ability but was unsure of how to go about it or even if she would be able to do so . In a conversation with her friend , Lorena Hickok , she admitted to having great respect for women who were employed and getting by on their own , stating her own doubts about her abilities in the same circumstances , as I have no profession - no training for anything (1962 ,

. 88 . However , it was not in her to back down from a challenge and she vowed to do her best . In the end , her best was far more than she likely ever expected , and she left a legacy that has lasted long past her death

Gerber states that Eleanor 's ability to connect with other people (2002 ,

. 13 ) was her biggest strength in her role of leader . She not only was able to get people moving , she was able to relate to them and see their points of view and , through that , to

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find ways to motivate them and help them to take advantage of their own strengths and cultivate them . She connected with people , and was not afraid to take up causes that others might shun . She was a visionary of sorts , and she envisioned a world where people were not oppressed , but shared an equality beyond that which appeared likely at the time

Another very important strength that Eleanor had as a leader was that of fearlessness . She refused to buy into any belief that something could not be done , and instead found ways to prove this wrong . She would not allow detractors to make her back down , and she believed in ignoring criticism that she did not consider to be constructive . While she had been timid and unassuming during much of her younger life , even...