Eleanor Roosevelt is one of the notable women leaders who is highly regarded. As an individual who overcame adversity from a young age to become one of the social and political icons, her servant leadership skills are a major contributory factor to her success in positively influencing individuals from different spheres. One of the principles of servant leadership she portrayed is stewardship (Tabors, 2018). She was always at the forefront in advocating for women rights and the rights of the minority, mainly segregated people of color. She was a proponent of respect for human rights and participated in drafting universal human rights (Luscombe, 2018). Other principles she embodied were empathy and listening. She participated in several debates to raise awareness of social issues that negatively affected women and, in so doing, ensured women empowerment. She also empathized with those who suffered under poor living conditions and used her position to advocate for better conditions.
Eleanor’s humanitarian undertakings exemplify her servant leadership traits. This was before and after her husband’s death. She tried to collaborate with Walter White to convince his husband to pass an anti-lynching bill. Also, in trying to improve the lives of sweatshops and factory workers, she took it upon herself to educate the working class about their workplace rights. At the same time, she pushed for social change by coming up with projects that influenced individuals to leave the slums and farm for their food (Beasley et al., 2013). Her participation in the drafting of the bill of human rights was notable. As a US delegate to the UN, she took it upon herself to advocate for the rights of European refugees. It is also worth knowing that after franklin’s death and her assumption of a leadership position in the UN, she graciously assumed humanitarian, social and cultural advocacy roles.
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One of the ways Eleanor exerts influence and inspires followership is through identifying with people’s most pressing needs, particularly the disadvantaged (Haar, 2003). She was a leader at a time the minority did not have a voice, but she influenced political decisions that positively affected those considered minority through her efforts and advocacy. She also engaged politicians and different stakeholders in analyzing controversial policies, most of which she knew would benefit the poor and the oppressed. She also embodied values and ethics that set her apart from a majority of leaders who are keen on how power benefits them other than how their values impact the public. Even at a time when ethics was not significantly emphasized in politics, she acted as though there were clearly outlined standards. She was uniquely accountable to herself and others in a positive manner.
In my own organization, I would like to emulate the virtues of those who lead me. Individuals who uphold organizational values ensure smooth operations and the achievement of goals and objectives of the entity as stipulated in the mission and vision statement. At the same time, success is highly probable in such an environment. This acts as a motivator for the human resource to continue providing value to the clients and other stakeholders (McColl-Kennedy et al., 2002). Coupled with a dynamic working environment, the workforce is likely to experience personal and professional growth. From the leadership I provide, I would want to see more growth and the satisfaction of those led. This is likely to be preceded by proper communication, effective conflict resolution strategies and responding to the grievances of those led. Most importantly, making them part of the leadership by welcoming their opinions about positive change and delegation of roles is likely to ensure satisfaction.
References
McColl-Kennedy, J. R., & Anderson, R. D. (2002). Impact of leadership style and emotions on subordinate performance. The leadership quarterly , 13 (5), 545-559.
Beasley, H. R., Shulman, H. C., Cook, B. W., & Burns, J. M. (2001). The Eleanor Roosevelt Encyclopedia . Greenwood Publishing Group.
Haar, J. M. (2003). Review of Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way: Timeless Strategies from the First Lady of Courage. Robin Gerber.
Luscombe, A. (2018). Eleanor Roosevelt: A crusading spirit to move human rights forward. Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights , 36 (4), 241-246.
Tabors, C. (2018). A Voice for the" Least of These:" Eleanor Roosevelt's Servant Leadership. Servant Leadership: Theory & Practice , 5 (1), 2.
