The role of women in history is a topic I have wrestled with for many years. As a lifetime student of history, I read about Esther, Cleopatra, Zenobia of Palmyra, Joan of Arc, and Elizabeth I before I was even an adolescent. The leadership and courage of Margaret Thatcher deeply shaped my life and own leadership style. I studied Plutarch’s seminal Parallel Lives and read with great interest Michael Hart’s The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History. It dawned on me that hardly any women were featured in these (and other) books. Only two women made it into Hart’s top-100. I read Riane Eisler’s celebrated book Chalice and the Blade, in which she observed, “Even though humanity obviously consists of two halves (women and men), in most studies of human society the main protagonist, indeed often the sole actor, has been male.”

Did women have so little to contribute? Year in and year out, across all programs in which I have taught, on all continents, more often than not, a female student was the top performer. I noticed a keen interest of female and male students to expand their learning from traditional male role models to female role models. When I tested my ideas in other settings, I encountered the same keen interest to learn more about great women. What did these great women do when they were at the crossroad in their lives? Why did they do it? How did they do it? What came of it? Did they behave differently than men of their time?

These observations motivated me to start my journey of exploration into female leaders. My journey took me from the mists of time to today, from the jungle of Vietnam to the highlands of Angola, from the pampas of Argentina to the palace of Constantinople, from the Nile valley to the battlefields of the Civil War, from the laboratories in Paris to the street protests in California. And much more.

This book tells the stories of women, from the dawn of civilization to the present day, who changed history by what they did at the defining moment in their lives. At this critical juncture, they had a choice—going with the flow, taking the safe, or least risky, option—or challenging the status quo. Their actions in their defining moment may have been noble or duplicitous, far-sighted or short-sighted. The outcome may have been positive—or tragic. Regardless, they stepped into the breach. They wielded the sword, seized political power, or challenged societal norms and laws—and transformed society contrary to all cultural dictates. In ancient Israel, Deborah led the fight for freedom against the Canaanites. In Angola, Njinga used war and diplomacy to keep the Portuguese colonial invaders out. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher succeeded where a long line of male predecessors failed and transformed society. America’s Virginia Hall became the Gestapo’s most wanted Allied spy, and Clara Barton refused to leave the battlefield; the heroism of them both saved countless lives. The list goes on.

What had these women in common? My research revealed it was not communal characteristics such as being friendly, kind, and sensitive, which are stereotypically associated with women, even today. Nor was it higher education, emotional intelligence, humility, sociability. No, the common denominator was that they all had grit—the ability to keep working toward a goal and overcoming challenges. Gritty people have focus, self-confidence, motivation to succeed (overcoming obstacles, perseverance), and resilience (rebounding from setbacks, weathering criticism). To the woman, they responded to challenges, setbacks, and disappointments by redoubling their efforts. We can learn from—and be inspired by—their lives and their grit, and their mistakes.

These women all faced enormous odds. The social norms of their time were so pervasive and insular that every touchpoint in society bullied them as social media bullies women today—especially those who dare to be different—not for difference’s sake, but to make a difference in their brief time on this planet, ultimately to grasp and bend the arc of human history for the better. To read their stories is to see ourselves anew.

I did not select these women at random. My goal to document the ubiquity of great women across type of endeavor (war, politics, fight for human rights), time, and space informed my choices. Collectively, this book shows that great women are pervasive across time and space. We have only to look for them.

Explore insights from Warrior, Queen, Scientist, Activist for your own life with the book app Women with Grit GPT’: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-w5GVHQNQ6-women-with-grit-gpt

Introduction to the book

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