Leadership Lessons from the
Life of Amelia Earhart
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Great women are courageous women.
Amelia Earhart was nothing if not
courageous. It takes courage to live and
stand out from the crowd. If you will be
recognised, you must be brave. Those
without courage merely exist and die
without recognition.
Great women never take anything for
granted. Amelia learnt never to take
anything for granted and to check
everything for herself before a flight.
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Great women do not take credit for what
others have done. Instead, they look
for ways to earn credit. These women
do not want a free ride or a recognition
undeserved. When Amelia was praised
for her Friendship flight, she turned the
recognition to the one she felt deserved it
and sought ways to earn credit.
Great women are honest. When Amelia
refused to accept a commendation, she
felt was not hers, she was honest. She
was displaying integrity. This is what
great women do; they are truthful enough
to say, it wasn’t me, I don’t deserve any
accolades.
Great women accept responsibility for
their actions. When Amelia decided to
embark on the trip around the world, she
knew if she didn’t return her husband
would be blamed for letting her go and
she said to him, I alone am responsible for
my decision.
Great women do not sit on their laurels.
They continue to challenge themselves
and seek ways to break their own records.
This is what Amelia did. Whenever she
broke a record, she set another one.
Great women are life-long learners.
Amelia paid to learn from the best. And
she continued to learn the things she
didn’t know about flying and improve on
herself.
Great women take time to prepare. They
are prepared for anything that could go
wrong. They anticipate what might fail
and ensure they are ready when it does
fail. When Amelia made her solo flight
across the Atlantic Ocean, she faced a lot
of challenges, but she was well prepared
for every single one of those challenges.
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Great women invest in themselves.
Amelia invested in herself. She wanted to
be a pilot, and she participated in flight
lessons. It is shocking how many women
want something but are not willing to
invest in themselves to get it.
Great women ask questions. As part of
Amelia’s commitment to learning to fly,
she quizzed those who had done what
she wanted to do. Leadership guru, John
Maxwell, has said repeatedly that great
leaders ask questions.
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Great women do what they love. Amelia
loved flying, and she dedicated her life to
flying, learning about flying and writing
about flying. Everything she did was
linked with flying.
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Great women attempt new things. These
women do not want to live with the regret
of never having tried out something that
had been in their heart. Amelia was a
woman who continually attempted new
things. She did not know if she would
succeed or fail and she did not let that
thought consume her, she was content just
to try.
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Great women evaluate risks. Before
they embark on any task, they acquaint
themselves with the risks involved, and
they assess the risks to determine their
chances of success intelligently. These
women do not rush into anything without
having done their homework and made
an informed decision. Amelia Earhart
knew the risk involved in every flight she
undertook.
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Great women inspire others. Their story
gives hope and sends across a simple
message, one that says, if I can so can you.
Amelia hoped that what she did in the
air would inspire women and girls on the
ground.
DOZ Magazine | February 2019