Historical Figures — Podcast

Leadership Moment - Creative Greatness Amid Our Duress

The curve is flattening. There is an end in sight to the shelter-in-place orders that have been made across many parts of the world. We may soon be able to experience life outside our homes and the freedom we are used to having. While no one knows exactly what normal will be like this summer or fall, society will certainly be presented with new ideas, companies, and works of art. Countless people have been using this gift of time to their advantage and we will be the beneficiaries.

As this four-minute podcast tells us, there is creative greatness amid our duress.

Leadership Moment - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Have you ever had someone tell you about their hopes and dreams? Can you remember the passion in their eyes? Can you remember the conviction in their voice? This is the story of a dream and more importantly the vision of that dreamer.

Fifty-six years ago, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered one of the most important speeches in the history of the United States…and it almost didn’t happen. That’s not completely true. It almost didn’t happen in the way we know it.

Here is the little-known secret about that speech. For most of it, Dr. King was ordinary. He was somber. He spoke of the past. He preached. He scolded the powers in America. The crowd that had traveled so far and waited so long to hear him grew restless.

But then a voice cried out. A friend of Dr. King shouted…

Hear his story here.

Leadership Moment - Leaders at Home

This week’s Leadership Moment - Leaders at Home

Dark, dusty, and dangerous. Those are the words that could have described the Soudan Iron Mine in Northern Minnesota during its operation. Each day workers would take elevators thousands of feet below the surface of the earth to roam the 54 miles of tunnels and mine its rich veins. My grandfather was one of those workers.

When she was an adult, and after my grandfather had retired, my mom toured the mine. At one point, the tour guide extinguished his light putting Mom and the other tour members in complete darkness. She wept. It was at that moment that she realized the full extent of what her father was willing to do to make her life possible.

Listen to the episode to hear how great leaders continue to inspire us outside the workplace.

Leadership Moment - Stanislav Petrov

This week’s Leadership Moment - Stanislav Petrov - Decision Making

This is the story of the man who saved the world. The year was 1983. The cold war between the Soviet Union and United States was heightened. Nuclear missiles were aimed at Moscow and other high value targets, while Soviet nuclear subs prowled the American east coast around the clock.

On the morning of September 26th in a Soviet bunker, alarms were triggered, sirens howled, while electronic screens indicated the Americans had just launched five missiles toward the USSR.

Estimated time to detonation: just 25 minutes…

Listen to this episode to hear how Stanislav Petrov, through leadership and the right decisions, saved the world.

Leadership Moment - Clara Lemlich

This week’s Leadership Moment - Clara Lemlich - Courage

What are you willing to sacrifice for a cause you believe in? There are millions of people around the world who give their time and energy. Some are even willing to risk their lives. This is the story of one of those people.

A century before the Me Too Movement, there was another movement that made life for women safer and better in countless ways. One leader of this movement, was Clara Lemlich.

Listen to the episode to hear how the sacrifices and leadership of Clara Lemlich inspired women to fight for their rights.

12 Geniuses Podcast

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