| Over a year ago when I was visiting my very | | | | Gerber pulls leadership lessons from every stage of |
| favorite bookstore (the Upstart Crow, in San Diego's | | | | Mrs. Roosevelt's life. More extensive in number and in |
| Seaport Village), I saw a book titled Leadership the | | | | depth, the lessons are nonetheless instructive and |
| Eleanor Roosevelt Way. Because I am a fan of Mrs. | | | | likely to provoke readers' reflection. For example, the |
| Roosevelt, I knew I had to grab it, but then | | | | following lessons (learned "the hard way") flow from |
| something happened and distracted me, and I left | | | | the painful period in which Mrs. Roosevelt discovered |
| the bookstore without the book in hand. One thing | | | | FDR's affair with Lucy Mercer: |
| led to another, and I never got around to ordering it. | | | | 1. Respond. Every leader experiences difficult |
| So I was truly delighted when I visited again last | | | | circumstances that she cannot control. The solution, |
| month and the book was still there! | | | | then, is for the leader to learn to control her |
| Part biography, part instruction on leadership in the | | | | response. Self-mastery is a key leadership |
| business context, Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt | | | | competency because, as Mrs. Roosevelt wrote, "the |
| Way is an easy and interesting read. The author | | | | influence you exert is through your own life and |
| gives a chronological review of Mrs. Roosevelt's life | | | | what you become yourself." Leaders must master |
| and draws out the lessons in each stage, which | | | | reactive tendencies and respond to problems instead. |
| makes for a reasonably effective presentation. | | | | 2. Reflect. Upon suffering a blow, a leader must |
| My only quibble with this approach is that Gerber | | | | reflect upon the situation and his response. A leader |
| occasionally shifts from the historical recounting to a | | | | must understand himself thoroughly, including what a |
| present-day business example without much warning, | | | | crisis means to his sense of self and the sources of |
| calling for closer attention than the book requires | | | | strength upon which he can draw. |
| otherwise. | | | | 3. Courage to Change. When a crisis occurs, fear is a |
| The book's focus, not surprisingly, is on women's | | | | natural response. Mrs. Roosevelt's response is |
| leadership, though many of the lessons transcend | | | | instructive: "Courage is more exhilarating than fear, |
| gender. Its opening explains that leadership is | | | | and in the long run it is easier. We do not have to |
| particularly important to overcome the gender | | | | become heroes overnight. Just a step at a time, |
| disparities that continue to exist, giving examples | | | | meeting each thing that comes up, seeing that it is |
| from business and politics. Similar inequalities exist in | | | | not as dreadful as it appeared, discovering we have |
| law as well, as indicated in the National Association | | | | the strength to stare it down." |
| for Women Lawyers' Report of the Third Annual | | | | 4. Accept Change and Take Action. Having reflected |
| National Survey on Retention and Promotion of | | | | and gathered sufficient courage, a leader must act. |
| Women in Law Firms, which states that among the | | | | Mrs. Roosevelt wrote, "People can surmount what |
| AmLaw 200, women comprise: | | | | seems to be total defeat, difficulties too great to be |
| * Fewer than 16% of equity partners; | | | | borne, but it requires a capacity to readjust endlessly |
| * 15% of average firm's highest governing | | | | to the changing conditions of life." Leaders must learn |
| committee (and another 15% of firms have no | | | | to take considered action and move forward, despite |
| women on governing committees); and | | | | setbacks that occur along the way. |
| * 6% of law firm managing partners. | | | | What's in it for lawyers? As the foregoing example |
| In additional, the study found that male equity | | | | indicates, the leadership lessons Gerber offers are |
| partners out-earn female by average of $87,000. | | | | often drawn from Mrs. Roosevelt's writings or |
| While these statistics are limited in scope, they | | | | speeches. Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way |
| indicate that at least in the firms studied, significant | | | | offers many leadership lessons, generally at a |
| disparity remains. As Gerber wrote, | | | | somewhat superficial level that introduces a general |
| Although these issues differ somewhat in kind or | | | | principle without fleshing it out in depth. As a result, |
| degree from the problems of Eleanor's day, the | | | | those who are seeking deep discussion of leadership |
| solutions rest on the same foundation: leadership. | | | | or its practical application may be disappointed. If you |
| Why? Leadership is about change. It means | | | | enjoy the Roosevelt history, though, and don't mind |
| intentionally achieving a helpful, ethical purpose, and | | | | a good but topical discussion of its leadership lessons, |
| doing so in a process of reciprocal motivation and | | | | you'll likely find benefit from reading Leadership the |
| support between leaders and those they hope to | | | | Eleanor Roosevelt Way. |
| lead. | | | | |