Introduction
When my husband told me he and his collaborator, Michael Mink, were going to
write a book about women of influence, I was elated. Then when Pat invited me
to share my insights by participating in writing the book, I got even more excited.
Pat has written over thirty books, all motivational and inspirational, about
leadership, teamwork, sports legends, biblical heroes and world figures. These
books have included stories about strong women, but he has never devoted a book
entirely to women—until now. And it's about time.
In his 1998 book, The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in
History, by Michael H. Hart, not a single woman made the list. Why? Because
the roles of women during the first one hundred years of our country were very
limited. They were either mothering or teaching. There were no real alternatives
unless one was a ballerina or opera singer or an actress. However, because of
the Industrial Revolution, two world wars, the Civil Rights Act and the women's
movement of the 1960s, women gradually moved into the spotlight and began blazing
their own trails. Enrollment of women in law school and medical school has jumped
substantially as well as in architecture and engineering. There are more and
more women with MBAs who are scaling the heights of the corporate ladder successfully.
The choices women have today are unlimited. The unique women you will meet in
this book were the catalysts who made it possible.
If you're a woman reading this book, and chances are you are—according
to statistics, many more women buy books than men—you will be delighted,
and you will probably identify with many of these women. You see, we all have
influence, particularly if we're women. For example, you have a great deal of
influence in your home with your children. It started in the cradle and has
continued to the present. In fact, I think one of the things that prompted Pat
and me to write this book was a book Pat read called First Mothers. It was about
the mothers of our presidents and the impact these women had on the leaders
of our nation.
One of my favorite stories about a woman's influence is about a woman who
is not famous. Her name was Annie Johnson. In 1903, she found herself alone
with two toddling sons. Her husband had left with all the money and ran away
to marry another woman. Annie was six feet tall, big-boned and had no education—and
she was black. Her only choice was to work as a domestic or starve. Neither
option appealed to her and she had to take care of her babies. So she decided
to focus on what she was good at—cooking. She wasn't a gourmet, but she
could "mix groceries well enough to scare hungry away from a starving man."
She set up a meat pie stand on the dirt road between the cotton gin and the
lumber mill in her little town. Each day right before lunchtime, she cooked
fresh meat pies, and the rich aroma brought men from the mills flocking to her
little stand. She was dependable, dedicated and hardworking. She never disappointed
her customers. Over the years, her little stall became a grocery store where
customers could buy all kinds of goods. This woman of influence changed not
only her life and the lives of her children, but also changed the economy of
her town and the world of literature.
Who was Annie Johnson? The great-grandmother of Maya Angelou, the author and
playwright. Mrs. Johnson's perseverance, tenacity and focus have certainly impacted
our modern literary world. And she started by influencing those closest to her—her
children.
We all affect the lives of others. The women profiled here have greatly influenced
the world. They have led the way. They have left legacies that benefit all of
us. Their achievements leave a blueprint that is open for anyone to follow.
This is not a book of biographies, although you will get glimpses of their
history. The book's main focus is centered on the achievements of twenty extraordinary
women and the life lessons they learned—principles you can apply in your
own life. These are women like you and me who made their lives count for something.
As a consultant and executive coach, I work with many women. They all want
to know how to be successful. Here's what I say: "The successful woman
is the average woman—focused." The successful women in this book
focused their lives on some kind of contribution to society. They were, and
are, fearless, dedicated, hardworking, committed and courageous. They come from
all walks of life: business, science, medicine, education, entertainment, sports
and government. They had a mission and they followed through. They made a mark
on the world. All of us can do the same.
I am excited about this book because of the role models it provides for my
own daughters. Pat and I have nineteen children. No, that wasn't a misprint.
We have nineteen: fourteen adopted from various countries around the world and
five birth children between us. Eight of our children are women or girls becoming
women. This is a great collection of success stories, which can inspire and
challenge young women to live their dreams.
Eleanor Roosevelt said: "Example is the best lesson there is." That
is, in a sentence, what this book is about. Enjoy!
—Ruth Williams
(Mrs. Pat Williams)
Winter Park, Florida
August 2003
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