Front & Center

Meet Anne Roosevelt – mother, leader, businesswoman, volunteer
A granddaughter of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Anne Roosevelt never knew her grandfather, but enjoys wonderful memories of her grandmother. Although not the typical diaper-changing, cookie-baking grandmother, Eleanor was warm and affectionate and a great inspiration. Anne, with two grown daughters of her own and a job as Vice-President, Global Corporate Citizenship, for The Boeing Company, takes after her busy grandmother.

She finds time in her active life to make a difference with organizations such as the March of Dimes, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, and the Joan Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. We feel fortunate that she took some time out of her hectic schedule to share her insights about volunteerism and leadership.

Q: How do you find time for a job and volunteer activities?
A: My jobs have always relied on a certain networking skill and an understanding of how to make connections and bring people together. I’ve been lucky to have been engaged in paying jobs and volunteer activities that dovetail in the same direction of making a stronger democracy and a better service society. There isn’t much down time in my life.

Q: How do you define leadership?
A: I learned from my grandmother that leadership is not about being up front, it’s about the quality of your listening. It’s about clarifying what the situation, need, or problem is and then working together to create solutions.

Leadership occurs when somebody is able to actually hear what people are saying...then you can be a catalyst for change.

My grandmother was an extraordinary listener. One of my clearest childhood memories is of her listening to me. Even though she had 26 grandchildren and many grown-ups wanting her attention, she would take the time to concentrate on what I was saying. That made me feel very special, it made me try harder, and it made me think. It had such an extraordinary effect on me. I’ve never forgotten what power listening has.

Q: What are some of the most significant events in your life that have defined you and your accomplishments?
A: The legacy of the strong women in my family has been very important. My grandmother Eleanor was, of course, the most well known, but my mother was a very strong person who taught me about thinking for myself and how to survive under difficult circumstances.

A turning point in my life in the category of making lemonade out of lemons was facing divorce. Although very painful, it forced me to identify what I was good at and what I could do to earn a living because I had two daughters to support.

I’ve also had wonderful jobs and each one has been a turning point. I’ve learned incredible things all along the way. My current job with The Boeing Company has been unexpectedly important in understanding the corporate role in society, the opportunities for leadership, and the need to create good in the world.

Q: From your viewpoint, who are prime examples of women in leadership roles?
A: There are many high-profile women, such as Madeleine Albright and Donna Shalala, who are wonderful and interesting leaders. But the leaders I admire most are those who are being effective in smaller places close to home. Like my grandmother said, “That’s where things begin.” If we don’t have those grass roots leaders, we’re in trouble. I look to women who are working with the PTA and Girl Scout troops and those running for local office. I tend to look at political women, too, because they usually have had to fight so hard to be where they are and add their voices to the role of government.

Q: As you meet and counsel young women, what advice do you give them about the importance of volunteerism?
A: I think young people today are much more put together than we give them credit for. They understand the role of volunteering and extending a helping hand within the circle of their influence. But they often need to find a focus for their volunteerism that builds on their passions. And I urge them to focus their time, too, so they can get a better handle on what they really can do, what they’re interested in, and the environment they’re comfortable working in. I encourage them to seek balance in their lives, to get their values straight, and to understand what they really care about and what’s really important.

Volunteering can often give them a window into what is truly valuable in life. It’s hard to have balance in your life if you’re trying to accumulate a great mass of material things and have a great job and family you love while also helping your community. But if you step back and ask yourself, “What is my priority? How am I going to organize my life so that I do it all well?”, now that takes some work. It doesn’t mean it’s carved in stone either. It means that you have to do it over and over again.

I like the way my grandmother approached life...day-by-day. She made each day meaningful. And, because she was so effective on a world stage and in such a large context, that’s been a great lesson to me.

If you know of a strong
woman who is an inspiring
leader, please let us know
by contacting Rita Toalson
at: (800) 627-4762, ext. 8376,
or at
toalsora@royalneighbors.org.