Digging DeepLeadership Lessons
from Eleanor Roosevelt
Brenda HuettnerBig Design Conference
September 2015
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“There is no human being from whom we cannot
learn something if we are interested enough to dig
deep.”
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18841962
1945: Harry Truman appointed Eleanor Roosevelt to the US delegation to the United Nations
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She was assigned to work on “Committee Three” (humanitarian, educational, and cultural issues)
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Committee Three was charged with resolving the “displaced persons” crisis – 1,000,000 refugees
Photo credit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/refugees_01.shtml
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The USSR (headed by delegate Andrei Vishinsky) wanted the refugees returned to the Soviet Union,
by force if necessary.
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The United States disagreed.
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Have convictions.
Be friendly.
Work as hard as they do.
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Have convictions.
Be friendly.
Work as hard as
they do.
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“Do what you feel in your heart to be right – for
you’ll be criticized for it anyway.”
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Convictions
“I realize that many people will not agree with me, but feeling as I do this seems tome to be the only proper procedure to follow.”
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Have convictions.
Be friendly.
Work as hard as they do.
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“In all our contacts it is probably the sense of
being really needed and wanted which gives us
the greatest satisfaction and creates the most
lasting bond.”
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Have convictions.
Be friendly.
Work as hard as they do.
copyright 2014 P-N Designs, Inc. Tucson AZ 27
“As life developed, I faced each problem as it came
along. As my activities and work broadened and
reached out, I never tried to shirk. I tried never to
evade an issue.”
Hard work
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1935 to 1962, six days a week
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Monthly column 1937 - 1962
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Ladies Home Journal, 1944
http://www.jenbutneverjenn.com/2011_04_01_archive.html
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1937
1940
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1953
1958
1954
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1953 1960
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1963 1963
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The Eleanor Papers Projecthttp://www.gwu.edu/~erpapers/abouteleanor/erbooks.cfm
The FDR Presidential Library and Museumhttp://fdrlibrary.marist.edu/
Thank you!
Brenda Huettner@bphuettner