During the month of March 2010, Dawn McCoy, author of Leadership Building Blocks will highlight great women in leadership during Women’s History Month.

Helen Keller was born in Alabama on June 27, 1880. She was stricken with meningitis and it rendered her both deaf and blind. Her family did not know how to reach through to her with double disabilities and she was imprisoned in her body and lonely.

Alexander Graham Bell who invented the telephone was also a teacher of the deaf. Keller’s family contacted him to see if he could offer some assistance. He recommended Anne Sullivan, a partially-blind teacher of the blind to tutor the young Helen. Sullivan become known for how she devised a method of hand signs that Keller could understand by pressing her hand, making the signs, into Keller’s palm. In this way the young Keller was able to communicate. Noted author Mark Twain also befriended Keller and Sullivan and called her The Miracle Worker.

Helen Keller went to Ratcliffe College, and by means of Sullivan spelling out lectures into her palms. She was the first deaf and blind person to graduate from college and with honors. Through her years at school, she wrote her autobiography entitled The Story Of My Life, to address worldwide curiosity about her disabilities. More importantly, she talked openly about her ability to thrive despite adversity. Keller shared how she learned to speak by pressing her fingers against Sullivan’s throat and imitating the vibrations.

Throughout her life, she met many famous people including every President who served in her lifetime.  By feeling the vibrations of the music, Keller also danced in famous Martha Graham’s studio. Keller spent much of her life on the lecture circuit with her teacher and companion, Anne Sullivan. Keller became a champion for the blind, published numerous books throughout her lifetime, and participated in speaking out against such things as child labor.

Helen Keller will always be remembered as one of the most courageous people who preserved despite perceived obstacles and impairments. We should all be so fortunate to have the foresight that she did.

TOUR GIVEAWAY: Blog visitors who leave comments  OR radio callers with questions for Dawn are eligible to winan autographed copy of Leadership Building Block and a copy of the Effective Community Engagement CD.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dawn McCoy is author of Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success. As one of the youngest elected African-American elected to the Sacramento City Unified School Board, McCoy shares seven leadership fundamentals in her book. Inspiring readers to be top in their field, Dawn shares her insights based upon twenty years serving as a nonprofit and government executive.

A motivational speaker, coach, and founder of Flourish Leadership Group, a leadership development and communications firm, Dawn is dedicated to transforming ordinary people into extraordinary leaders. In recent years, she has worked with organizations to develop their vision and create phenomenal results. Dawn has worked with hundreds of individuals to help them capture their spirit of leadership and truly become the effective leaders they were meant to be.

Visit Dawn online at FlourishLeadership.com.

Read an excerpt online and visit the tour schedule at http://bit.ly/LeadershipBuildingBlocks.

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