During the month of March 2010, Dawn McCoy, author of Leadership Building Blocks will highlight great women in leadership during Women’s History Month.

Renee: Thank you for allowing me to be a guest blogger today at All The Buzz Reviews. Today, in the Celebrate Women in Leadership series, I want to highlight Texas Congresswoman Barbara Jordan.

The Honorable Barbara Jordan is most remembered for her service as the first African American woman from the South to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Prior to that, she was elected to serve in the Texas Senate as the first African American since 1883 during the Reconstruction period.

Barbara Jordan gained national recognition for her outspoken inquiries and keynote remarks. In the landmark1974 Watergate hearings as a member of the House Judiciary Committee, she asked tough questions. Later in 1976, she delivered a rousing keynote address at the Democratic National Convention as the first woman and first African American to have this opportunity. Not surprisingly, both speeches have been named in the top 100 best speeches in the 20^th century. For me, she greatly influenced how I made sure to have a polished image and style of communication.

With her remarkable oratorical skills, Jordan impacted so many during her years as a public servant. First, she eloquently framed the issues and addressed challenging topics. She dealt with political and cultural obstacles as an African American woman leader and did not back down. Yet she so masterfully handled herself as a savvy operative playing hardball. Her style and masterful skills impacted how I approached various leadership positions with poise and determination.

Second, she was steadfast in her commitment to create a legacy through training future leaders. In her later years, she was a professor at The University of Texas at Austin’s Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. Her legacy is most significant and present throughout Texas where schools, roads, and buildings bear her name.

Third, she overcame many obstacles and did soon behalf of others too. Whether or not she was a state senator or a U.S. congresswoman, she sponsored legislation for the disadvantaged and people of color. Most noteworthy was her support to expand the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in southwestern states to include Mexican Americans and other minorities who had been denied the right to vote. She readily accepted challenge and spoke her convictions. She once said that “One thing is clear to me: We, as human beings, must be willing to accept people who are different from ourselves.”

Her style, elegance, and solid political savvy served her well and earned her respect for her solid leadership. To me, Barbara Jordan is most revered for sharing her convictions about timeless themes — equality, accountability, and American ideals.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dawn McCoy is author of Leadership Building Blocks: An Insider’s Guide to Success. As one of the youngest elected African-American elected to the Sacramento City Unified School Board, McCoy shares seven leadership fundamentals in her book. Inspiring readers to be top in their field, Dawn shares her insights based upon twenty years serving as a nonprofit and government executive.

A motivational speaker, coach, and founder of Flourish Leadership Group, a leadership development and communications firm, Dawn is dedicated to transforming ordinary people into extraordinary leaders. In recent years, she has worked with organizations to develop their vision and create phenomenal results. Dawn has worked with hundreds of individuals to help them capture their spirit of leadership and truly become the effective leaders they were meant to be.

Read an excerpt online and visit the tour schedule at http://bit.ly/LeadershipBuildingBlocks.