The Soul of Leadership Journeys in Leadership Achievement with Distinguished African American Nurses NLN Series

This is a new edition of Dr. Hattie Bessent’s groundbreaking work, originally published in 2005 by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The text provides first-person accounts of the lives and motivations of eleven African American nurses of outstanding achievement. Their stories present the authors’ philosophies of leadership and the strategies they used to succeed, against the odds, in what had been a predominantly white profession. The stories are compelling and provide a wealth of knowledge and abundant inspiration for any young nurse of color pursuing professional career in nursing.

Hattie Bessent
‘Phenomenal Woman’
Maya Angelou
Acknowledgements
Foreword
James M. Jones
Preface
Juanita W. Fleming
Chapter 1: Project Lead and Soul
Chapter 2: African American Women Who Lead
Chapter 3: Principles of Leadership
Chapter 4: The Soul of a Leader
References
‘And Still I Rise’
Maya Angelou
Project LEAD Fellows, Mentors, and Advisors

Hattie Bessent, EdD, MSN, RN, FAAN
Dr. Bessent is a project director for Project Leadership, Enhancement and Development (LEAD), a W.K. Kellogg Foundation-sponsored program. Dr. Bessent earned a BS degree in Nursing Education at Florida A&M University, a MS degree in Psychiatric Nursing from the University of Indiana and EdD degree in Psychological Foundations of Nursing from the University of Florida. She holds diplomas from Harvard University in Educational Management, and from Tulane University in Mental Health and Family consultation. She holds an honorary doctorate degree from Florida A&M University and Hunter College. Her awards include the Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Academy of Nursing, and the Mary Mahoney Award from the American Nurses Association. She has been inducted into the American Nurses Association’s Hall of Fame and awarded Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Nursing. A prolific author, Dr. Bessent has published three books as well as many journal articles and monographs. She has held numerous fellowships and consultancies and has advised virtually every U.S. president since Eisenhower on mental health issues.