Dr. Robert E. Dunker Leadership Series

By Russ Gifford

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!

The Robert E. Dunker Leadership Lectures examine the skills of individuals who become prominent in America in business, politics, or both. What skills enable them to be effective leaders and hold the public's attention? The people discussed may be national or local leaders. Are the skills the same? Join us for the discussion and see!

The series will feature two programs this term.

Betty Ford: An American Original

Last term, we discussed the role of the First Lady throughout our country's history. With no authority, no power, and no salary, the prestige of the title might be welcomed, but the pressure of being a far too public figure in the intense spotlight of the office.

One of the women who held that title would experience the most intense spotlight during a period of American upheaval. Only 2 months after her husband took office as President, Betty Ford would be diagnosed with breast cancer. In previous years, any mention of a health issue for the First Lady was always quietly and discreetly mentioned. Not this time. Breast cancer at the time was rarely mentioned on TV, even in fictional dramas. If mentioned in private, it was almost whispered. Mastectomies were treated as a stigma, and those who experienced them usually suffered in silence. But Betty Ford attacked this issue as she did every issue - head-on and with as much honesty as possible. The open discussion of breast cancer and her choice of a mastectomy became a public conversation that would no doubt save lives. Over 50,000 Americans sent her get-well wishes, and check-ups for breast cancer jumped over 400 percent overnight.

It was only the first of Betty's many honest choices that would provoke outrage from fellow Republicans – including her husband!

Join me as we look at a First Lady who was far from perfect – but may have been perfect for the job. And we will see how her personal difficulties after leaving the White House would allow the kinship she had forged with many Americans to help her change how those problems are viewed and treated.

Harriet Tubman: Transformational Leadership Under Fire

We define leaders by the skills they demonstrate, both as strategists in quiet times and in how they perform under pressure. We also look to see if the efforts are valuable and good for everyone, not just a select group. Last, we want to see how they bring others together and make a difference going forward.

Of all the people I have discussed, Harriet Tubman may be the peak person on this list.

We think of her as a conductor on the Underground Railroad, leading slaves to freedom in the North. She was phenomenally successful, yet she was so much more than that.

In this talk, we will try to encompass all the aspects of Harriet Tubman. The Strategic planner, the brave participant, the communicator with a vision of what success would look like, and the humanitarian with integrity. Her actions emulated those of Moses in the Bible. Her goals were the betterment of all, and in the post-war era, she embraced the need for feminism and voting rights for women, breaking barriers for women, not just women of color. Even in her death, she thought of others, donating her land to be used as a home for the aged. We have barely scratched the surface of the things this remarkable woman achieved – and she lived her life as a blueprint for others to follow. Join me to see the whole story of a remarkable person!