The Robert E. Dunker Leadership Lectures examine and discuss examples of leadership displayed in life by prominent people in America, both nationally and locally. This series is sponsored by and named in honor of Dr. Robert E. Dunker, President Emeritus of Western Iowa Tech Community College, founder of The Institute for Lifelong Learning, and one of Western Iowa Tech’s earliest graduates.
This series is about people whose actions have impacted the world. These individuals made national news with perseverance, persistence, and sacrifice. Today the reason behind their fame is obscured by the results. We know they succeeded or failed. How can we learn from their example if we don’t know what they did or why they did it? Historian Russ Gifford will introduce us to the person behind the headlines, their motives, their methods, and what traits allowed them to exercise leadership and achieve their fame!
History is filled with moments of uplifting greatness and dark despair – and often they coincide. In these two talks, we will see the intersection of history we enjoy remembering and history we MUST remember if we hope to learn from those stories. Can one person make a difference? Yes. And we will see the way they make a difference that matters. Their efforts bring first one, then a few, then many, then the world over to their side.
Successful leaders achieve these by utilizing these skills:
Insight - the ability to correctly define issues
Vision - to see a path that answers or overcomes issues
Communicator - the ability to share the vision and move people toward that vision
Resolve - the perseverance to work toward that end.
Inclusiveness an ability to work with others, for the greater good, not just a short-term win.
This term, we will see how these two leaders, and others, used these skills and changed the world.
Standing Bear and the Arc of Justice
NOVEMBER 4
This session, we will examine the unique story of one man determined to lead his people to freedom. He did not take up arms, nor did he engage in acts of terrorism in his cause. He stood up for the rights of his people, and in his actions and his quiet determination, he changed not only his world but the chances of all Native Americans.
This talk will revisit the sweeping history of the settlement of the West. We will strive to see the time from the point of view of ALL parties involved and realize that actions on either side cause choices and consequences.
Yes, there are moments of uplift and times of despair. The key is to see it all so you can understand actions and reactions - and appreciate how incredible the choices of Standing Bear and General George Crook truly are.
We will remember the history of events that led to the forced removal of the Ponca Indian Tribe from Nebraska and walk along with these people on their trek. We will witness their despair in Oklahoma and their journey home. And we will sit in the courtroom as the arguments are made. We will not only witness the leadership exerted by Standing Bear, but also by Crook, and others, to see justice prevail.
Clara Barton - An Angel of Mercy, with a Vision
NOVEMBER 11
We all know the story of Clara Barton. She created the Red Cross, right? Done deal!
The reality - Barton’s story is one of repeatedly standing up to authority and, in her quiet determination, making things happen by making a difference.
This session, we will see the development of Clara Barton from a young woman who made strides in education for all, to a visionary who utilized her ability to communicate to become more than the singular “Angel of the Battlefield.” Unlike most of America, who tried to put the memories of the War of Rebellion behind them after the battle was over, she refused to allow the people responsible for declaring war to forget. She did not quietly return to the era of pre-war thinking. The battlefields she saw would not allow her to.
Barton continued to push, pressure, fulminate, and most importantly, inform everyone of the changes that must be made in the name of humanitarian aid. Her efforts led to the creation of an organization of people replicating what she alone had done for wounded soldiers on battlefields in years prior. She did not stop at America’s borders. She provoked the world to step up and stop ignoring the suffering of those who fell in battle. She proved humanitarian efforts were the only just choice possible.
Creating the Red Cross was never a given. It required the use of all her leadership skills to move the men who ruled the nation and the world to make these changes. Join Russ Gifford on this journey back in time to see an example of how one woman’s innate ability to use key leadership skills made a difference in the lives of millions. View how change is truly made.