by Heather Doyle Fraser
When I think of the people with whom I work on a daily basis, this is one of the things I notice: they are storytellers who intrinsically value compassion. This is why I am working with them — so that they can share their voices but also so that the message of compassion can make its way into the world in as many ways as possible.
Today is a big day because one of my authors is publishing her book. It’s an unlikely book for me to publish on the surface. It’s a second edition of a children’s chapter book that was originally written and published in 1991. The Little Girl Who Grew Up to Be Governor: Leadership Lessons and Stories From the Life of Martha Layne Collins, second edition by Frances Smith Strickland, PhD is releasing today!
On the surface, this book teaches leadership skills to young readers using the inspirational story of Kentucky’s first woman governor—Martha Layne Collins. Collins accomplished what many thought impossible when she was elected Governor of Kentucky in 1983. The updated second edition draws heavily on the established principles of leadership from John W. Gardner and psychologist Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences while also emphasizing central themes of helpfulness, resilience, planning, kindness, using your strengths, courage, and service for the next generation of leaders. And do you know what else is at the center of all of Martha Layne’s stories? Compassion.
“A standard definition of compassion is, a sensitivity to the suffering in self and others with a commitment to try to alleviate and prevent it." — Dr. Paul Gilbert, Founder of Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and the Compassionate Mind Foundation, UK
Any story with compassion at its center is one I want to be a part of bringing into the world. Join me today in bringing this book to your children, your friends, and yourself. We can all use a great example of what good leadership layered with compassion looks like. This is my example for today.
The Little Girl Who Grew Up to be Governor: Leadership Lessons and Stories From the Life of Martha Layne Collins, second edition, by Frances Smith Strickland, Ph.D., is available on Amazon in kindle or paperback.