Reuben was what the Yorubas call agbaya, literally translated as ‘bad elder’ or ‘immature adult.’ He was what my late father would refer to as a stupid senior. How did he end up like this? By birthright, he was a leader. As the firstborn of his father, he held a position of authority in his father’s household. He should have been the one to receive the blessing that had been passed down from Abraham and Isaac to his father, Jacob.

But Reuben not only disqualified himself from that blessing, he disqualified himself from any blessing at all and received a curse from his father Jacob. By himself and with his own hands, he excluded himself from leadership. Reuben inherited the leadership position by birth, but his character disqualified him from it.

Genesis 35:22 states, “And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine: and Israel heard it.” This incident marks Reuben’s first recorded offence, and it is significant because, in Leviticus 18:8, it is established as a statute that reveals God’s perspective on the matter. By sleeping with his father’s concubine, Reuben dishonoured his father and “uncovered his father’s nakedness.”  Jacob would later cite this action as the reason for cursing Reuben.

Genesis 37:2 says that Joseph brought an evil report about his older brothers to his father, Jacob. The older brothers include Reuben. So Reuben’s shenanigans didn’t end with sleeping with his father’s concubine; when Reuben should have been a model example to his younger siblings, not only was he not, but his younger brother must have been abhorred by his behaviour, which he felt the need to report to their father.

Later in the same chapter, a conspiracy to kill Joseph is revealed. Reuben attempts to act as a leader, but we see what a weak one he is. Genesis 37:22 says, “And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again.”

But if you know the story well, then you know he could never deliver Joseph because, behind his back, the other brothers brought Joseph out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites. According to the Bible, this was Judah’s decision. “And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood?  Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content”(Genesis 37:26-27).

What does Reuben do when he returns and finds Joseph gone? In Genesis 37:29-31, the Bible says, “And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go? And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood.”

Reuben does not rebuke his younger brothers for selling Joseph; instead, he conspires with them to cover up their actions. It’s interesting to note that before Reuben arrives, there is no evidence of a conspiracy to hide what they did. Reuben initially takes a stand by urging his brothers not to kill Joseph, but he ultimately fails by suggesting that Joseph be thrown into a pit instead of letting him go free.

That he was willing to have Joseph put in the pit made him responsible for Joseph being sold into slavery. Therefore, he couldn’t tell his father the truth; he had to conspire to cover up the deed. But what Reuben didn’t realise was that by not taking a firm stand against evil, he was gradually losing his birthright as a leader. He indulged in evil, so he could not effectively stand up to his younger brothers when they sought to engage in it. He was a people-pleaser who didn’t understand that a leader is not a circus clown, and he compromised when he should have put his foot down and said, No.

The brothers had their subsequent encounter with Joseph in Genesis 42, and in verse 22, the Bible says, “And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? Therefore, behold, also his blood is required.” Reuben quickly shifts the blame for what happened to Joseph to his brothers. He forgot that he had negotiated for Joseph to be put in the pit instead of being killed, when he should have set him free altogether to return home. A weak leader shifts blame and never accepts responsibility.

Right before their eyes, Joseph took Simeon and locked him up in jail (Genesis 42:24). Reuben did not speak up or offer to take Simeon’s place. He left his younger brother in prison in Egypt and returned home to their father. Then, he had the audacity to ask Jacob to entrust Benjamin to him. He said to Jacob, “Slay my two sons if I do not bring him back to you; deliver him into my hands, and I will bring him back to you again” (Genesis 42:37).

My daughter said concerning Reuben’s reckless statement, “Should your father’s compensation for his missing son be the death of his grandsons at his own hands?” That makes no sense. It certainly solves nothing. Reuben spoke brashly without giving a thought to what he was really saying. He spoke like a fool. Little wonder the father paid him no mind. Nothing is worse than a leader who opens his or her mouth without wisdom.

In Genesis 43:8-9, we see how Judah handles the same matter. The Bible says, “And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones. I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever.” Judah had sons, but did not speak of them being killed. Because he spoke sensibly, Jacob entrusted Benjamin to Judah instead of Reuben.

When Jacob disregards Reuben’s request but honours Judah’s, it reveals a lot about his perception of both sons. In that moment, he was effectively transferring the role of the firstborn to Judah. However, Reuben’s decline as a leader had actually begun earlier, when he failed to honour his father and slept with his concubine.

The Griffiths is a sequel to The Vine Church. Even as I write these words, I am thinking, a sequel? Amazing!

It’s amazing because in April 2024 when I stumbled on the completed and forgotten movie script for The Vine Church, I had no idea that God would bring forth a beautiful story from it, and I certainly did not see a sequel at that time.

But, the sequel is here, and there were days, during the writing phase, when I wondered if it was worth it. I couldn’t see the whole picture so I stalled. But in the last month, as I began to write for hours each day, trusting that God had a story to tell through me, the story began to unfold beautifully, and I found myself enjoying it.

I am grateful to all who read The Vine Church and left a review for me. Thank you for your comments.

For a very limited period, I am giving you a free sample of The Griffiths to read and share your feedback in the comments section below. Please click on the link below and start reading right away. Once again, I look forward to reading your honest reviews.

Blessings…

Evie.

The Griffiths Free Sample

© Eturuvie Erebor. All Rights Reserved.

I began writing The Vine Church in 2015. Yes, ten long years ago. It wasn’t called The Vine Church, but there was a church in the story called The Vine Family Church. I wrote the story as a script for a movie but God had other plans. Once completed, it was abandoned and completely forgotten until April 2024 when I stumbled on it. I changed the format, rewrote the story and here we are. This is unlike anything I have written before and I couldn’t have done it without God helping me every single step of the journey.

For a very limited period, I am giving you a free sample of the book to read and share your feedback in the comments section below. Please click on the link below and start reading straight away. I look forward to reading your honest reviews even as I return to my writing desk for what’s next.

Blessings…

Evie.

The Vine Church Free Sample

© Eturuvie Erebor. All Rights Reserved.

Ode Itsekiri… 33 Years Ago…

Oma Domingo heaved a sigh of relief as the lights of the ancient town came into focus.

Ode Itsekiri, the ancestral home of all Itsekiri sons and daughters. She smiled despite the sharp pains coursing through her body. She was finally here; finally home.

“Mo dokpe. Thank you very much,” she mumbled to the man paddling the canoe as he helped her out of the small boat and onto the wooden deck on the riverbank. She wrapped the Ankara cloth she had draped around herself more tightly as she made her way one step at a time, ignoring the pain, determined to reach her sister’s home on time.

Her sister, Alero Domingo, fondly called Sisi Alero or Sisi Domingo by all who knew her, had been widowed many years ago and had never had a child. She was a traditional midwife who had delivered many children in the community. Many were now established men and women who often returned to pay homage with gifts, enabling Sisi Domingo to own her small two-bedroom home in Ode Itsekiri.

The Domingo family gained fame among the Itsekiri people for introducing them to the Portuguese. More than a hundred years ago, one of their forebears spotted the Portuguese as they arrived in Ode Itsekiri and welcomed them into his home. This led to marriage with the Portuguese and the adoption of the Portuguese name Domingo. They were not only Itsekiris but also Portuguese, maintaining their relations to this day.

They were a big family, but not a close-knit one. Their late father was the parent of many children, while their mother only had Alero and Oma. The sisters shared a close bond despite the twenty-five-year age gap between them. Oma did not know their mother, as she passed away before Oma’s first birthday, and Sisi Alero raised Oma as her daughter.

Sisi Alero displayed a strong sense of protectiveness towards Oma, and it took considerable persuasion before she consented to her living and working in Warri because of the decreasing availability of jobs in Ode Itsekiri. That was four years ago when Oma was twenty-one years old. Initially, Oma came home at every opportunity, but for the past nine months, she did not come home, although she did not fail to send Sisi Alero her monthly allowances and write letters about how she fared. A little about how she fared: she did not think Sisi Alero would appreciate the entire story, so she kept some of it to herself.

She let out another sigh, partly to bear the pain she experienced and partly to regain her composure. She had arrived at Sisi Alero’s little, two-bedroom, red-brick bungalow, less than a mile from the waterfront. Shortly, she would face her sister, who played the motherly role and shared her wisdom. With a sense of shame, Oma acknowledged that she had not followed her teachings.

Inside, the lights stayed switched on, indicating that Sisi Alero, a woman who followed a routine of going to bed early and waking up early, was still awake. Oma placed her little bag, packed in a hurry and bearing all her most important possessions on the little steps, and after wrapping herself more tightly, she knocked on the door.

“Eri nesin? Who is it?” Sisi Alero’s shrill but strong voice enquired from within.

Oma smiled despite her discomfort. Yes, that was the Sisi Alero Domingo she was familiar with.

“Sisi, Emi ren. It is me, Omasan.”

The door swung open instantly. Luckily, it opened inside, sparing her face from a harsh impact. She barely picked up her bag before Sisi Alero enveloped her in a fierce hug.

In pain, she winced, causing the older woman to step back and peer at her with wise eyes that never missed a thing.

“Oma, are you ill?”

Tears welled up in Oma’s eyes. Tears of relief, knowing she had returned home and all would be well. Before she said anything, Sisi Alero ushered her into the tidy, pleasant living room. Once inside, Oma put her bag down and turned to face her sister, removing the wrapper she had used to cover herself. As she did, Sisi’s eyes widened in shock.

“Sisi, please forgive me. I have no one else to turn to and nowhere to go!” Oma cried.

“Oh, Oma!” Sisi covered her mouth with her calloused hands. “Oma, you are pregnant! How could you?!”

“I am sorry,” was all she managed to utter before another surge of pain spread through her body, forcing her to double over and clutch her abdomen. Then, as it subsided, came the sensation of needing to relieve her bowels. “Sisi, please, I need to use the toilet,” she announced, overwhelmed by the irresistible urge to push.

“No! You are in labour.” Sisi Alero took her arm and led her into the small room that used to be hers until she went to live and work in Warri.

And so began the longest night of Oma Domingo’s life. She pushed and pushed and pushed and pushed, and finally, in the wee hours of the morning, a woman about Sisi Alero’s age and a traditional midwife in Ode Itsekiri placed the tiny baby in her arms.

Oma was weary, but not too exhausted to admire her beautiful baby. As she looked at him, her smile expressed triumph. It proved to be worthwhile in the end. The entire experience had been worth it; one day, her name would be known by all Itsekiri people. She looked at the midwife, then at Sisi Alero, who wept softly, and finally at the sleeping baby in her arms.

“Onetoritsebawoete!” she proclaimed and closed her eyes.

Chapter One

The Kingdom of Benin …. Today

Amenze concluded that her life, as she had known it, was officially finished. She observed with great interest and a slight pang of sadness as her dear childhood friend Tiyan Alile was seated on her fiancé’s lap. Traditionally, this meant they were now man and wife. Tiyan was now officially Mrs Usi Isekhure, the wife of the Chief Priest of the Benin Kingdom. First, Eki, then Ede and now Tiyan. Amenze’s friends were now married, and her relationship with them would change regardless of whether she wanted it to. Their friendship would take on a different disposition.

Amenze sighed in resignation. Despite being practical and realistic, witnessing the joy of her married friends made her feel like she was missing out on something special. She secretly desired that something special for herself. Yes. She desired to understand the essence of falling in love. She wished to be married to a man she loved and have her belly swell with his baby!

Amenze considered her relationship with Dimitris Papadopoulos and bit back a groan. It frustrated her that her relationship with Dimitris Papadopoulos was going nowhere fast. Seeing her friends marry and get pregnant left her completely dissatisfied with her life and also led to a subtle resentment for her boyfriend and the desire to bring the relationship to an end. She envied her friends.

She wasn’t the only person who noticed that her friends were entering into matrimony. Her mother noticed, and on the eve of another friend’s wedding ceremony, Tuedor Giwa-Amu called her only daughter to the living room for a chat. She thought Amenze was a fool for wanting to break up with Dimitris instead of using her feminine wiles to get him to marry her.

Amenze was a realist. Dating Dimitris Papadopoulos had been fun, but she didn’t think they had what Eki and Oba Osad or Tiyan and Usi had. Or even what Ede and Sato had. If they did, they would get married, not constantly seek the latest Michelin-starred restaurant to try for dinner. She’d become fed up with that! Love, romance, and marriage were what she desired. Her desire was to be looked at with the same intensity as Oba Osad looked at Eki, as Usi looked at Tiyan, and as Sato looked at Ede. Oh, and even as her father looked at her mother after almost forty years of marriage!

“Don’t you love him?” her mother had asked during their little chat last night, a puzzled expression on her ageing but still beautiful face.

“Love?” Amenze snorted. “Of course not.”

“I will never understand you.”

“That makes you and most people,” Amenze had murmured. And me, she’d added silently.

Amenze’s scowl deepened as she recollected her mother’s nagging. Her mother thought she was getting old and reminded her that she had already been married at Amenze’s age.

As midnight approached, Amenze decided to say her goodbyes and leave the party. Tiyan, the glowing bride, had been escorted to her husband’s home according to the Benin native law and customs. The lavish reception at the groom’s house was now quickly ending, with guests leaving one after the other as the early hours of the following day approached.

The night was as pretty as a picture, with the moon as a backdrop. But it was both warm and humid. Amenze stepped out of the air-conditioned three-storey house, instantly hot and uncomfortable in her bridesmaid outfit – a red long-sleeve mermaid dress made of luxurious embroidered fabric. The traditional Benin Okuku hairstyle was done beautifully, and her neck was adorned with multiple strings of coral beads, adding to her discomfort. With one hand holding up her floor-length dress, she walked down the cobbled drive, her red stiletto heels clicking against the ground, while palm trees and garden lamps lined the path to the car park.

Amenze had just reached the white Kia Sportage she’d borrowed from her mother when she heard the groom’s voice behind her.

“Amenze, just a minute!”

Amenze turned around, and sure enough, Chief Usi Isekhure approached her as she stood in the large open car park outside his vast home. She furrowed her brows as she tried to decipher what he wanted.

“Hey, Amenze. I’ve been meaning to have a quick word with you all day.” His smile was quickly replaced with a frown.

Amenze disliked his intent gaze. Had she done something wrong, broken some traditional or cultural protocol, perhaps? Chief Usi Isekhure wasn’t just her best friend’s husband; he was the revered Chief Priest of the Benin Kingdom, and as the mouthpiece of the gods of the land—his word was potent.

He was not a man to be taken lightly. Her heart beat a little faster as the frown on Usi’s face deepened, and he came closer. She wasn’t great friends with Usi, not being present while his romance with Tiyan blossomed. But he seemed laid back the few times she’d seen or been around him, causing her to wonder, what now?

“What is the matter, Usi?” Amenze wondered whether it was a good time to be on a first-name basis with him. The man standing before her didn’t look like a friend, but rather like a chief priest.

Usi did not respond to her question. Instead, he caught her chin and slowly and carefully scrutinised her face.

“There is no mistake. You are the Olori of the Warri Kingdom. A Benin woman born for the Warri throne. He placed the crown on your head and called you Olori Sisan.” Usi released her chin.

Amenze did not burst out laughing for three reasons. No one dared laugh at the Chief Priest of the Benin Kingdom. Chief Priest Isekhure had never been wrong. Hadn’t she witnessed how Eki tried to escape the prophecy only to run right into it? Her heart raced even faster.

The third reason she didn’t laugh was that her middle name was Sisan. It was an Itsekiri name given to her by her Itsekiri mother but rarely ever used. Apart from Eki and Tiyan, no one outside her family knew her name was Sisan. Unless Tiyan told him. But why would Tiyan mention her rarely used name to Usi?

Then she pondered Usi’s use of the title Olori. Olori was the title used by the queen of the Warri kingdom. Was she going to be a queen? Queen of the Warri Kingdom? Who had Usi seen placing the crown on her head? She presumed the words were thoughts in her heart until she heard Usi answer.

“The Olu of Warri!”

Amenze gasped. The Olu of Warri? Olu Ginuwa III? At seventy-one years of age, the man was older than her father!

“Olu Ginuwa III?” she demanded angrily.

“Do nothing to mess this up. Do not attempt to make it happen,” Usi warned severely before walking away.

Do not attempt to make it happen?! What did that mean? Amenze thought with chagrin as she entered her car and slammed the door shut. She had no intention of trying to make the ludicrous prophecy happen! Why would she want to make a marriage to a man older than her father happen? If anything, she planned to do the exact opposite and do everything she could to make it not happen!

As she drove home, in a foul mood, she cursed her rotten luck. What was the deal with her? Why did she always get the short end of the stick? Eki married the young and handsome Oba of Benin, and Tiyan married the young and handsome Chief Priest of the Benin kingdom. Ede married the young and handsome bodyguard of the king. They all married young and handsome husbands.

And who would she marry? The old, ugly, never mind polygamous Olu of Warri. She punched the steering wheel and wanted to scream out her frustration! The gods were most unkind to her. Fate was most unkind to her. Life was cruel to her! She refused to accept this without a fight. She would go to great lengths to make it not happen, and in the end, if it still happened, well, at least she would not be going to the old man with her virginity intact. Note to self: Amenze, get rid of virginity as soon as you return to London.

“You look like you’re returning from a funeral instead of a wedding,” her mother commented as soon as Amenze entered the living room.

Amenze’s mother was an average-height woman with a well-rounded body gained through childbirth and years of cooking and eating sumptuous meals. She had a charming face that suited her plus-size body and was fashionable, always wearing clothes that flattered her figure.

Tonight, she dressed casually in Ankara palazzo pants and a denim shirt. She was a proud Itsekiri woman from the Warri kingdom, addressed fondly as Sisi Tuedor or Sisi Giwa-Amu. She loathed being called “mama” or “aunty” as it made her feel too old at sixty. Older Itsekiri women shared this sentiment and were addressed as Sisi.

Amenze wasn’t surprised to see her mother still awake. Sisi Tuedor would stay up whenever any family member was out late. She had done it for her husband and sons when they lived at home and began going out with friends at night. Now, she did it for her only daughter and last child.

Amenze dropped onto the deliciously soft leather sofa beside her mother and kicked off her stilettoes. “It seemed like a funeral at the end.”

Her mother looked baffled. “Did anything go wrong? Are Tiyan and her husband okay?”

“They are fine, Mum. Nothing wrong at their end, but plenty at mine.”

Sisi Tuedor knitted her brows. “Tell me what happened,” she invited, her frown deepening as Amenze recounted her brief meeting with Usi.

“Well, at least now we are certain you will marry!”

“Mummy!”

“Listen to me, my daughter; there are worse things in life than marrying a man much older than you are.”

“I don’t believe you are saying this, Mum.” Amenze shook her head in utter disbelief.

“Niko wo fe gin demi fo? What would you have me say, Amenze? Last night, you insisted you wanted to break up with Dimitris, even though I thought you were better off giving your relationship a chance. I told you that getting another man may be challenging and that African women living in the United Kingdom struggle to marry. Some of your father’s distant cousins, who travelled to live in the UK years ago, are still unmarried in their forties. I worry about you emulating them, especially as you will be in London for another three years for your doctoral programme. Now, a prophecy foretells your marriage to a king. Should I say the gods forbid because he is much older?”

“Here we go again.” Amenze groaned and rolled her eyes. They discussed this yesterday, and Amenze slept late. Perhaps she should go to bed and catch up on much-needed sleep. She rose to her feet. “I’m going to bed, Mum. If I must marry Olu Ginuwa III, then I will, but I will go to him screaming and kicking!”

“Hmm… Oton mi tse denden. Child, be careful. The chief priest has warned you not to mess this up; please listen to him. It’s better to be married to an older man than to be an older unmarried woman. You are my only daughter; please let your heart pity your mother.”

Amenze rolled her eyes as she bent and picked up her shoes. Her mother could be dramatic when the occasion suited her. She’d used the same blackmailing tactics with each one of her three older sons. The blackmail and drama never got old.

Just as Amenze walked away from her mother, her father walked in. “Who is getting married?” he peered through the upper portion of his bifocals, first at his wife and then at his daughter.

At sixty-five years old, Dr Giwa-Amu was a renowned consultant gynaecologist who had delivered many prominent Benin men and women. His private fertility and maternity clinic, Giwa-Amu Clinic, next door to their residence, was the foremost private gynaecology clinic in the kingdom. For that reason, the city’s authorities named their street Giwa-Amu Crescent.

Her parents were very different. Amenze frequently wondered why her father married her mother. He was gentle and soft-spoken, and she was the complete opposite.

“No one is getting married, Dad.” Amenze walked up to her tired-looking father and kissed his cheek. “Welcome, Dad. How was your day at the clinic?”

“It was good, thank you.” He stroked her cheek affectionately as she pulled away. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I am, just a little tired.” Amenze feigned a smile. He looked at her long and hard to show he didn’t believe her, but didn’t push the matter.

As her father strolled further into the living room and settled himself in his favourite seat, the lazy-boy recliner, he and her mum exchanged mumbled greetings that would make anyone think they had a lovers’ tiff, but Amenze understood her parents well enough by now to appreciate this was their standard way of saluting each other. Also, they had seen each other over dinner as her dad made it a habit to take a break and come home to eat lunch and dinner with his wife.

“Dr Giwa-Amu, I am glad you’re home. I was just having a chat with Amenze. Both her friends, the Alile girls, are married. Oloi Eki will soon become a mother, while Amenze plans to end her relationship instead of trying to get her boyfriend to propose. She is living in the United Kingdom. Who finds a husband in the UK? You remember your cousins, now in their forties and still unmarried?”

Amenze sighed and quietly left the room. After last night, she wouldn’t stick around to hear all of that. Her father could take her place tonight.

“Poor Dad,” she mumbled as she climbed the stairs and went to her bedroom. “But better you than me, Dad.” She stifled a giggle.

Olori is now available on Amazon.

Amnon was the first son of David, king of Israel and he was born into a leadership position because as the firstborn of his father, he was the head of his siblings and his father’s household. Also, he should have become king and leader of Israel after his father’s death. He began as a leader amongst his siblings and would have moved to become the leader of the nation Israel, but due to bad leadership at the home front, he never reigned as king, an assignment he was born for.

Amnon’s trouble began when he fell in love with his half-sister Tamar, Absalom’s sister. Amnon clearly could not control what he felt for his beautiful virgin sister and became sick. He had a friend, Jonadab whom the Bible describes as a subtil man. Jonadab was curious and wanted to know why Amnon’s health deteriorated daily, and Amnon proceeded to tell Jonadab that he was in love with Tamar, Absalom’s sister. Being a crafty man, Jonadab advised Amnon to pretend to be sick and request that his sister Tamar be sent to his house to cook him a meal. Amnon followed the advice of Jonadab, and when his father, David, sent Tamar to his home to prepare him a meal, he seized the opportunity of being alone with her and raped her.

Unfortunately, he did not think much of the consequences of his actions. Perhaps as the king’s first son and the future king of Israel, he thought he could get away with the deed but, not so, he paid dearly for it with his life because Absalom killed him for the act of wickedness against his sister, Tamar. And so Amnon died a king and a leader who was born to reign but, never did.

There are several leadership qualities that Amnon lacked which reveal why he failed in his first duty as a leader in his father’s house and why he would have been a bad king had he sat on the throne after David, his father.

In John Maxwell’s book, “The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader”, he lists certain qualities that every leader should have. The Bible’s record of the events reveals that Amnon lacked these qualities, but I will highlight only a few of them here.

One leadership quality he lacked was character. Like Samson, he was a leader who could not lead himself, and as a result, he died without an opportunity to ascend the throne and lead the nation of Israel.

The second leadership quality he lacked was commitment. He claimed to love Tamar, but when it was time to commit to her, he failed to follow through.

Three, he was not a focused person. His lust for Tamar was a massive distraction from the throne he should have been pursuing, but he failed to see it because he had no focus, to begin with. His lack of focus eventually caused him to lose the throne.

The fourth leadership quality he lacked was that of listening. He was not a man who listened to those he led. Tamar tried to warn him of the mistake he was making in sending her away after defiling her, but he paid no attention to what she had to say and paid dearly for it.

The fifth leadership quality he lacked was self-discipline; his failure to control his lust for his sister and his act of violently raping her prove this.

The sixth leadership quality he lacked was servanthood. His leadership position as the firstborn of his father should have been used to serve his siblings and other members of his father’s household, but it was used to serve his selfish purpose and desires to the detriment of those he led. This is anything but leadership. Little wonder he never made it to the throne as the leader of God’s people, Israel.

Liz Murray is an American inspirational speaker who went from homeless to Harvard University. She is the founder and director of Manifest Living and one of the most highly sought-after motivational speakers in the world. She is the author of the International Bestseller titled Breaking Night: My Journey from Homeless to Harvard, and a movie has been made about her life, titled, Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story. Liz was born and raised in the Bronx. She had loving parents, but they were poor and addicted to drugs. This meant that as Liz grew up she would often go without food and was regularly absent from school. As a result, she found it a challenge to connect education to a future that was possible and unlike her present and past. A friend of the family named Arthur would step into Liz’s life and not only mentor her but change the course of her life. As he was a neighbour he was always available to help her with her schoolwork. He began to take her out on day trips and show her places and a life that was different from what she had experienced up to that point. He helped her to see that she could be more and do more and that if she had dreams for a better life they were not out of her reach. Her parents would eventually contract HIV/AIDS leading to the demise of her mother when Liz was only 15 years old. Following the death of her mother, her father moved to a homeless shelter. Arthur, who was her mentor and guide, died suddenly from a heart condition, and Liz was left all alone to face life and the challenges it would throw at her. She became homeless when she was only 15 and in high school.  She would sleep in stairwells and shoplift food to eat. But as she navigated life’s problems going forward, Arthur’s voice remained in her head and helped her make the right choices. She would go on to be accepted into Harvard University after graduating from Humanities Preparatory Academy in Manhattan, and she was awarded a New York Times scholarship for needy students. She took a break from Harvard to care for her sick father but returned to complete her studies graduating in 2009.  In 2013, she was awarded an honorary doctorate of public service and gave the commencement speech at Merrimack College,  Massachusetts. Liz Murray is currently a passionate advocate for underserved youth. She is married and has two children (Wikipedia).

Leadership Lessons from the Life of Liz Murray

1. Leaders are optimistic and able to see the good in adverse situations. In the book, Hero, by Rhonda Byrne, Liz Murray stated that when her life changed very quickly at the age of 15, with the deaths of her mother and Arthur, the loss of their home and her father becoming estranged, she felt that if life could change for the worse possibly it could also change for the better. Leaders are people with hope. Are you optimistic? Are you able to see the good in negative people and situations?
2. Every leader begins their leadership journey by being a good follower. We all need a guide, someone who has been where we want to go either physically or mentally. Liz needed Arthur to guide her, to change the trajectory of her life, to show her what was possible, and to challenge her to seek things that were different from what she was accustomed to. Who is guiding you? Who are you following? Where are they leading you?
3. Great leaders will step outside their comfort zone and continuously operate outside their comfort zone. We do not grow if we remain inside our comfort zone. No dream is achieved within our comfort zone. The things that we desire to achieve are outside our comfort zone, and to attain them we must step out of the familiar and away from what is comfortable. When Arthur took Liz on day trips and showed her a better life, he was challenging her not just to desire it but to want it so badly that she would be willing to step outside of her comfort zone to obtain it. Have you ever stepped outside your comfort zone? Have you been afraid to do something and did it anyway?
4. Great leaders reach back to help others. Liz shares her story all around the world, primarily to motivate others. She is a passionate advocate for underserved youth. When great leaders achieve their dreams, they reach back to help others achieve theirs. Who are you helping? How are you using your experiences to enrich the lives of others?
5. High achievers are people with lofty dreams. They are dreamers; they dream of a better life; they dream of contributing to humanity. They are constantly dreaming. Every achievement starts with a dream. Until you dream it, you can’t achieve it. In the book, Hero, Liz shares how she would sleep in stairwells using her book bag as a pillow. She states that as she lay her head on that book bag she would dream of a better life. The life she has today began with a dream. What you dream, you will become. Are you dreaming? Are your dreams big enough? Do they excite you and move you to take action?
6. High achievers follow through on their dreams. They understand that an idea in and of itself has no power to produce unless it is compelled to deliver by the dreamer. What separates high achievers from failures is their ability to pursue their dream until it materialises. The vision you do not pursue will not emerge. Still in the book, Hero, Liz talks about how her mother would share her dreams with her when she was a child. Yes, her mother had goals. We all have goals. But her mother never followed through on her dreams. All she did was talk and talk is cheap. Liz says that when she was done talking, her mother would declare that she would do get around to doing it. Some day she would make it happen. Well, that day never came for her as it never comes for many. She died without seeing her dreams materialise because she never took steps to make them happen. Dreams do not fulfil themselves. What steps are you taking daily towards fulfilling your goals? What steps can you take daily towards fulfilling your dreams?
7. Great leaders strive for excellence. They abhor mediocrity, and for this reason they stand out from the crowd and rise to the top in business and career. While Liz Murray was a student she desired straight A’s and so got a copy of her transcript while it was still blank –she was a new student and had no results – and she wrote in the empty transcript the grades that she wanted and then began to work towards those grades. Every time she wrote her homework, she set the transcript before her as a reminder of her goals. Making straight A’s was crucial to her; she wanted the best and was willing to pay the price for it. With an attitude like that is it any wonder she went from homeless to Harvard? Do you strive for excellence?
8. Nobody owes you anything! The day you learn this fundamental truth that all great leaders know is the day you will be unleashed into your greatness. If it is to be, it is up to you, and don’t expect anyone to pull you out of a pit you are not making a conscious effort to climb out of. Liz Murray says that she grew up thinking that nobody owed her anything. See where that line of thinking has taken her over the years. Small-minded people go through life with an entitlement mentality, and as such, are always ungrateful. But great leaders are people of gratitude because they understand that nobody owes them anything. Are you still playing victim? Have you come to the realisation that if it is to be it is up to you?
9. You are going to have to do it afraid because, as Liz Murray says, you can never get rid of fear. Fear is a part of the journey to success, and great leaders know this. Therefore, they do not allow fear dictate to them the terms in pursuit of their dreams. Do you know that great leaders often do it afraid?
10. You are enough. Great leaders realise this. They know that they are enough to bring their dream to fruition. Many think that they need something which they do not have, and it becomes a significant reason that they procrastinate and die and never see their dreams materialise. According to Liz, if you think you are not enough and that you are missing something or waiting for the right time, there is no right time. Get up and go just as you are. God said to Gideon, go in this thy might and Nike says, just do it! What would you do today if you knew you were enough?
11. Successful people know that things will not always go as planned. If you have tried to pursue a dream and failed woefully, you are in good company. If you wanted to quit, you are also in good company. Many great people have had these experiences. Liz says she got rejected to the point of almost depression. Life will test you before it allows you to have your dreams. Greatness is not for the feeble-minded. Yes, it is okay to cry, and yes, it is okay to throw in the towel, but it is never okay to leave the towel where you threw it. At some point, you must pick up the towel wipe your tears, and dare to dream again. And say to life, you are going to see what stuff I am made of. I will not be defeated! Will you dare to dream again? What dream would you have if you knew you couldn’t fail?

Leadership Lessons from the Life of Joy Mangano

1. Everyone starts with a dream of what life will be like for them. But as people grow older and are surrounded by those who find it challenging to accomplish their own desires and who will make it their business to let them know at every turn that their dreams are beyond their reach they begin to believe that it is impossible to accomplish their goals and so they settle for less. They give up the desire to live and begin to make a living like everyone else.
2. Dreamers need a team to work with them to fulfil their dreams. Joy had an idea, but she couldn’t achieve it alone. According to John C. Maxwell, one is too small of a number to achieve significance. We need other people if our dreams will become tangible. We need those who believe enough to invest in our ideas, whether it is their money, time, or skills.
3. Our pain often leads to the discovery of an idea. In the movie, Joy cuts her hand while trying to wring a mop she was using to clean a surface that was covered in liquid and broken glass. It was a painful experience, there were fragments of glass in her palms, but it caused her to think of the possibility of a mop that could wring itself. And as they say, the rest is history.
4. Ask for help. You need people; you need their help, their money, their time, and their skills. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you need to make your dream a reality. In the movie, Joy helps everyone in her family without making demands on them in return. But when it was time to bring her dream to fruition, she politely but firmly requested a return for the favours she had given. When we need help, we should not be ashamed or afraid to ask for it. We must know when to ask for support. Great women do.
5. Don’t let others speak on your behalf. In the movie, Joy’s sister spoke on her behalf and almost ruined her company. It is essential to state here that Joy has no sister in reality, but the lesson from the movie is vital, nonetheless. People who have not been authorised to speak on your behalf have no business doing so, and you have no business honouring any arrangements they made on your behalf as they were acting without your permission in the first instance.
6. There will be dark days. Night precedes day. Get ready for rejection. Not everyone will receive your ideas with open arms, and they don’t have to. But if you keep going the yes will begin to come, the doors will start to open, the day will break, and the darkness will disappear.
7. When you begin to pursue your dreams, look out for petty jealousy. In the movie, we see Joy face plenty of petty jealousy from those close to her. People will not necessarily hate what you are doing; they will just hate that it is you doing it. They will undermine what you do and say there is nothing special about it and that anybody can do it. Ignore the distractions and keep moving in the direction of your goals.
8. Naysayers will tell you that you can’t. Oh yes, prepare for that too. As you begin to act on your dreams, naysayers will spring from everywhere and tell you that you can’t embark on the journey. They will give you the reasons why you will fail. But please understand that often it is not that you can’t, as much as it is that they couldn’t. They will project their failure and regrets on you.
9. You will have to fight for what you want. It will not drop in your lap. You will have to make sacrifices. You will lose some things. In the movie, Joy almost lost her home, and she signed the papers declaring she was bankrupt. The pursuit of dreams is not easy or cheap, and that is why not everyone can see their ideas come to fruition.
10. You will have to demonstrate to those investing in you that you have what it takes. Ideas simply are not enough, no matter how good they are. There is a person that you must become to see your dreams come to fruition. If you don’t become that person, your ideas are never realised. It’s as simple as that.
11. Sometimes you must reject rejection. You have to say no to the nos. That’s what Joy did. In the movie, when the first attempt to sell her mops on QVC failed, she was informed that there was nothing more they could do for her. It was over. But she had made thousands of mops and re-mortgaged her house at this point, so she wasn’t taking no for an answer. She demanded a second chance and an opportunity to go on air to sell the mops herself. She got what she wanted. When you reject rejection, you will invariably get a second chance.
12. You will be embarrassed. Prepare to be humiliated. People are cruel, especially frustrated people who have not realised their dreams. They will laugh at you; they will mock you, and they will ridicule you. They will tell you that you are a bad wife, bad mother, bad daughter, etc. You will encounter these things. In the movie, Joy had to face humiliation before she had her big break. And I am confident that there was nothing fictional about that part of the film.
13. Sometimes you will throw in the towel. Oh yes, life will test you before it lets you have your dream. You will reach your breaking point and more often than not, you will break down and cry and throw in the towel. But you know what? That’s okay. When you’re done crying, pick up the towel, wipe your eyes, and get back in the race. That’s what Joy did.
14. Be careful when you take advice. Not everyone can give you sound advice. Don’t seek medical advice from a lawyer or legal counsel from your doctor. Do your homework. Don’t let people intimidate you because of what you don’t know. Don’t let them twist your arm to do things their way. Do your due diligence. In the movie, Joy makes costly mistakes at the commencement of her business because she accepts counsel that was given to her without doing an investigation to determine if those advising her were right. She eventually corrects the mistake but only after she has done her homework.

What happened to you? What has become of the dreams you had as a child? What would your younger self say to you? Would they thank you?

Shania had a traumatic childhood. She never knew her biological father. There was always a shortage of food in their household as her mother and stepfather earned very little money. But she did not reveal her situation to school authorities, as she feared they might break up the family. She started writing songs as a young girl to escape from the negative situation in her home and to distract herself from hunger. To pay the family bills, she began singing in bars at the age of eight. The marriage between her mother and stepfather was difficult; her mother struggled with bouts of depression, and her stepfather was an alcoholic, violent, and mentally ill. One time, when Shania was about 11, Jerry beat Sharon unconscious and plunged her head into the toilet repeatedly. Shania hit him across his back with a chair. He punched her in the jaw; she hit him back. Jerry often abused Shania, physically, psychologically, and sexually but she never reported it as she couldn’t bear the family being separated. In mid-1979, however, Shania convinced her mother to drive the rest of the family 420 miles south to a Toronto homeless shelter while Jerry was at work. But in 1981, Sharon returned to Jerry with the children.

In 1983, after graduating from school, she moved to Nashville to sing country, and in 1987, she was on the brink of achieving her dreams when Jerry and her mother were killed in a car crash. She abandoned her dreams and moved back home to become a substitute mother to her four siblings and for the next six years, she supported them by singing at a local resort. In 1993, a record label signed her on, and she became known as Shania. She was an instant success, and her second album, The Woman in Me, released in 1995, sold 20 million copies worldwide and brought her widespread success.

In 2004, Twain entered a hiatus after a diagnosis of Lyme disease, and dysphonia led to a severely weakened singing voice. Twain did not make a record for 15 years. During this period, she also divorced her first husband, Robert John Lange, who had an affair with her friend. She is currently married to Frédéric Thiébaud.

With over 100 million records, she is the best-selling female artist in country music history and among the best-selling music artists of all time (Wikipedia).

Leadership Lessons from the Life of Shania Twain

1. Sometimes our dreams are placed on hold as we serve others and help them achieve their goals. Great women are great leaders, and great leaders are great servants. Shania Twain put her dreams on hold to serve her siblings following the tragic death of both their parents. Every great person is a servant to others. No one is truly great, who does not help others.
2. While we cannot choose how our lives started, and the circumstances surrounding our birth and early years are outside our control, we can decide how our lives end. We can change the trajectory of our lives, and it is possible to rewrite our narrative. We do not have to settle. We do not have to repeat the mistakes of our parents. Shania Twain understood this and great women understand this.
3. Sometimes leaders make sacrifices to maintain the status quo. Living in a home where there was always a shortage of food supply could not have been easy. Being raised by a stepfather who abused her physically, psychologically, and sexually could not have been easy. Shania Twain could have reported the situation at home to the authorities but she chose not to because she was thinking not just about herself but about other members of her family and how the breakup of the family would impact each member. She made a sacrifice to hold the family together; to maintain the status quo.
4. Great leaders are selfless. We see Shania display selflessness repeatedly. When she declined to report the abusive behaviour of her stepfather, and when she refused to report the inability of her parents to provide adequately for the home, she was selfless. When she returned home to care for her siblings, putting her dreams on hold in the process, she was selfless. Selflessness is vital to relational success, and it is a fundamental ingredient for business and or career success.
5. Talent is a gift that brings us fulfilment and helps us escape our current reality. Shania Twain, amid hunger, violence, and abuse, took refuge in her ability to sing and write songs. This gift helped distract her; it helped her escape momentarily from the reality of her situation. Our giftings and talents are needful, necessary and helpful in escaping our reality.
6. It is okay to dream, just for the sake of dreaming. It is okay to escape your current reality to maintain your sanity. Great leaders know that sometimes they must flee or retreat in other to win another day. We have been told to go beyond dreaming to bring our dreams to fruition, but I think that it is okay to dream just for the sake of dreaming; even if you are unable to bring that dream to fruition, daydream to maintain your sanity.
7. Great leaders know that their gifts will make room for them. The gift Shania had from a young age helped her support her family. It eventually brought her out of poverty. Don’t ignore your gifts and talents, as they have the power to bring you out of frustration and hardship.
8. Life happens, understand this, and don’t take it personally. Sometimes when all is going well, life throws you curve balls. This is a truth that pertains to everybody and is not unique to you. On the verge of a breakthrough, Shania Twain lost her parents and had to abandon her dream. She experienced fame, and then an illness caused her to take a hiatus for over a decade. She got married and her husband betrayed her by having an affair with her good friend. But she kept moving forward. People and indeed situations can only take from you what you permit. No more no less.
9. Embrace setbacks as part of the journey to greatness. There are valuable lessons that we learn from setbacks if we are paying attention and embracing the processes that are valuable and help us attain and maintain success. Our character is developed during a setback in a way that it can never be developed during a winning season. Setbacks toughen us and help us build resilience, which is necessary for success. And in a season of setbacks, we can identify what is truly important and be grateful for it.
10. Great women weather the storms of life. Therefore great women are survivors. Shania Twain survived a traumatic childhood, she survived a disease that almost caused her to lose her voice, she survived a hiatus that lasted well over a decade, she survived the betrayal of her husband who cheated on her with her good friend, and she survived divorce. She weathered the storms and she came out on top. You can do likewise.
11. Great women are positive and see good in adverse situations. And I believe this is one reason they can weather the storms of life. Shania never reported her stepfather or the harmful situation in her home because even at a young age, she could see the positive in the adverse situation, she realised that they needed each other and should remain together for better or worse. Being able to see the silver lining in every situation is so crucial as it helps us to be grateful and not to be hasty in making decisions that might take us from the frypan and into the fire.
12. Great women are steadfast. Shania Twain demonstrated steadfastness from a young age. She did not report her stepfather’s abuse, but more importantly, she also never acknowledged her biological father publicly as she thought it was not proper to acknowledge a man who had not been there for her paying bills, putting a roof over her head, food on the table, etc. She was committed and steadfast. She was also grateful. Her stepfather may not have been the best father in the world but she knew he had done what her biological father had failed to do.
13. Great women are an inspiration to other women. Their story sends a simple but powerful message to other women. One that says, if I can, so can you. Shania Twain survived a childhood full of trauma, a marriage mixed with betrayal and heartbreak, and went from poverty to best-selling female artist in country music history; anything is possible for you.

At the height of the Cold War, Anastasia and her family escaped communist Romania in search of a better life. Her husband sought asylum from the American embassy in Italy, and six months later, he was in the United States. After three years, Anastasia and their daughter were able to join him.

When she arrived in Los Angeles, Anastasia had no money; she could not speak English and worked fourteen hours a day in a beauty salon. In no time, she understood that eyebrows were an under-exploited area, and developed a technique for shaping people’s eyebrows according to their unique bone structure and natural eyebrow shape. As she was required to work long hours, and for low pay, it soon dawned on her that nothing was going to change without a conscious effort on her part to change it. She had set out to America in search of a better life, but the experience she had was not the better life she anticipated. She decided to stop waiting for her situation to change and change it. She rented a room in a Beverly Hills salon and began offering facials, body waxing, and eyebrow sculpting to her clients and moved from there to running her salon situated in Bedford Drive Beverly Hills. Her clientele grew and included celebrities. Her unique method of shaping eyebrows made her stand out from the crowd and become an instant success. Her business is currently a global empire with over 1,000 outlets in the United States and more than 600 outlets internationally. She is estimated to be worth 1.2 billion dollars (Wikipedia).

Leadership Lessons from the Life of Anastasia Soare       

1. Take a hard look at your life, and change what is not working. This is what Anastasia did. When she was working fourteen hours daily for little pay, she had to look at her life and realise that until she changed what she was doing, nothing was going to change. Her advice in Rhonda Bryne’s book Hero is simple, she says, look into your life and if you are not happy where you are or with the job you have, change it. Refuse to settle for less than what you want. Refuse to be content with smallness. And understand this, until you change, nothing changes. Doing the same thing will give you the same results. Anastasia worked for over three years doing the same thing and getting the same results. But once she changed what she was doing, she began to make progress.
2. People will try to talk you out of your dream; therefore, you must be sure of yourself and what it is that you want. Every idea attracts naysayers, and unfortunately, many have allowed naysayers to talk them out of their vision. When Anastasia attempted to rent a shop in Beverley Hills the landlord immediately told her that she could not pay the rent doing eyebrows. If she wasn’t sure of what she wanted that was enough to dissuade her. But she knew what she wanted, and in time, she proved the naysayer landlord wrong, and he would eventually say to her, are you sure you are doing eyebrows there?
3. Believe in yourself. Anastasia believed in herself, and this was primarily because of the words her mother spoke to her. When she was only six years old, her mother sent her grocery shopping with a list, and at first, she was afraid, but her mother assured her that she was smart and could do it so she went, hanging on to those words. She returned with all the items purchased, and her mother said to her, I told you you could do it. This caused her to believe in herself, and a belief in herself led to her success in business. Now, perhaps you were not so fortunate, and your parents or the adults around you did not inspire self-confidence in you, but you can become your self-nurturing parent and inspire confidence in yourself by speaking words to yourself that build you up and destroy fear and doubt.
4. Avoid pessimism. According to Anastasia, Pessimism will kill any dream. Therefore you can’t afford to be pessimistic, and more importantly, you can’t afford to keep company with those who are negative. When people have no confidence in your ability to bring your dreams to fruition, and they always remind you of your failures or their words do not give you any hope for a better tomorrow, run for your dear life.
5. There is power in gratitude. In the book, Hero, Anastasia advises the reader to wake up every morning and count their blessings. This is vital to success. Take a close look at successful people, and you will discover that they are grateful people. You may not have the kind of job you want or live in the type of house that you wish to live in or drive the sort of car you like, but if you are alive, it is a testament to the fact that you can still have your dreams so be grateful. Gratitude increases, gratitude promotes, and gratitude opens doors. Be thankful as a lifestyle.
6. Determination is instrumental to success. Please understand that life will test you before it allows you to have your dreams. Your plans will not always work out the way you thought they would, things will go wrong that you did not anticipate, doors will shut in your face, people will desert you, and you will be disappointed, but in all this, be resolute. Anastasia says that she was determined that if a door closed, she would bang on it, break it down or enter through a window. It is this kind of determination that wins eventually and delivers to you your dream.
7. You have to be a fighter. Still in the book, Hero, Anastasia says that life is a challenge, and if you think otherwise you are wrong or delusional. She insists that if you want to move from an ordinary life to a life of significance, then you have to be a fighter. The reason is apparent, life is going to resist you. Everyone has dreams, but not everyone sees their dream fulfilled, and what separates those who see their dreams fulfilled from those who don’t is the spirit of a fighter. Those who carry the spirit of a warrior and keep fighting will eventually get that for which they have fought. Those who quit or can’t be bothered to fight must settle for mediocrity.
8. Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t have, recognise what you do have and market your strengths. We are all unique. We all have our place. If you want to be successful, it is crucial that you know your uniqueness and celebrate it. Don’t be afraid to be different. No two people are precisely the same. Discover yourself, discover your uniqueness and discover your worth. Anastasia admits that she had to find herself and uncover her worth. She admits it was daunting but worth it.
9. Opportunities abound, so seize them. In the book, Hero, Anastasia says that there are opportunities everywhere, but people don’t grab them because people don’t see them. And I believe that people don’t see them because they look like a lot of work.
10. Don’t be afraid to fail. Too many do not try anything because they fear failure. As Anastasia says, in the book, Hero, what do you have to lose? I believe that it is better to try and fail than to lie on your deathbed with the regret of what would have been if or what might have been if only you had tried. And I will add here that once this life is up, we don’t get another chance to try. This is no dress rehearsal; this is the real deal.
11. Life returns us our investment. What are you investing in life? If you invest a little, you will get a low return. According to Anastasia, life is like a bank account, and you can only withdraw what you have deposited. She says, don’t put little and expect to get big. It is not going to happen.
12. Stop making excuses and start making progress. Excuses will destroy your dreams. Yes, there will be challenges, and yes, there will be obstacles, but you can find a way around them. You can learn what you don’t know. You can build from nothing. Anastasia started from nothing; she had no money, she didn’t speak the language, and she certainly didn’t understand how things worked in her new country. She had to learn. Some would have used it as an excuse and allowed it to limit them, but she chose to learn those things which were necessary to get her where she wanted to be.
13. No dream is an end in itself. Life is progressive. The fulfilment of one dream usually creates a situation that causes us to have another goal. Anastasia dreamt of going to America, and eventually, that dream was fulfilled, but once in America there were obstacles and challenges, life was not how she expected it to be, and so she had to dream another dream, a dream of owning her own business, and work to bring it to fruition.
14. Where you are is usually a preparation for where you are going. The harsh life Anastasia was faced with in Romania prepared her to face a tough life in America overcome the hurdles, and rise above the challenges, to see her dream fulfilled.
15. Great women are an inspiration to other women. Their story sends a simple but powerful message to other women. One that says, if I can, so can you. Anastasia Soare went from a penniless immigrant to a billionaire businesswoman and, so can you.

Leadership Lessons from the Life of Amelia Earhart

1. 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.
2. 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 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Great women do not sit on their laurels. They continue to challenge themselves and seek ways to break their own This is what Amelia did. Whenever she broke a record, she set another one.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Great women never take anything for granted. Amelia learnt never to take anything for granted and to check everything for herself before a flight.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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 hearts. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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.