Lessons in Leadership from Robin Gerber

As head of the Washington Post for almost two decades, Katherine Graham truly defined what it is to be a great leader. In Robin Gerber's new book _Katharine Graham: The Leadership Journey to an American Icon_, readers get a glimpse inside the world of a woman who faced many challenges during her lifetime. From being raised by an eccentric businessman and a mother with no maternal instincts to coping with a husband suffering from schizophrenia, Katherine Graham ultimately triumphed. Under her leadership, the Washington Post became a premier newspaper and media company. Gerber, who is a senior faculty member of the Gallup Organization and a senior fellow in Executive Education at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland, College Park, is also a noted international commentator and speaker on leadership. I recently had the opportunity to discuss her book and get some advice for women leaders of tomorrow.

*What inspired you to write about Katharine Graham's life and career?* I'm interested in writing about women's leadership particularly and because she was one of the greatest business leaders of the twentieth century certainly one of the greatest woman leaders of that time. *You've also written about another strong woman leader, Eleanor Roosevelt ( _Leadership the Eleanor Roosevelt Way_ ). In writing both books, did you find similarities in these two women?* Yes. I think there are similarities in that they both overcame real difficulties and obstacles in their lives. They transformed themselves into becoming great leaders. They showed characteristics of good leaders: persistent, being hopeful, always looking towards the future, and having a very strong sense of their convictions and what they wanted to accomplish. *For young women today who are aspiring to be leaders tomorrow, what advice would you give them?* Number one and the most important thing is to follow your passion. Follow what you're really excited about and what you want to do. Don't just make the easy choices or the conventional choices. Be a risk taker! Seek out a mentor; someone who can help you and share their experiences. *Robin Gerber's book, _Katherine Graham: The Leadership Journey of An American Icon_, is available at book stores and at amazon.com.* For more information on Robin Gerber's work, check out "http://robingerber.com/":http://robingerber.com/.

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