and, Barton personally oversaw relief to civilians that had been devastated by the religious wars in Turkey and Armenia in 1896 (Pryor, 2006). It was during this time that nearly 200,000 Armenians had been killed, alone (Barnett, 2004)
Barton's Successful Leadership Experience may be the best teacher (Bowers, 2000); however there are qualitative qualities a person must hone to become an effective leader. Clara Barton was a leader of society (Basbanes, 2001)
It is through reviewing her life, and understanding her leadership skills, that nurses can better discover how to become leaders themselves. Early Personal History and Career Clarissa Harlowe Barton was born December 25th, 1821, in North Oxford, Massachusetts and is an excellent example of how anyone can be a leader (Bowers, 2000)
She worked hard to raise the economic and political status of women, attending rallies for the promotion of woman suffrage and developing friendships with Susan B. Anthony, Lucretia Mott and Lucy Stone, as well as other leaders (O'Connor, 1995)
For generations, Barton's family had lived in the New England region, but despite her family's renown and position in the community, Barton's childhood was not a happy one. Plagued with her parent's troubled marriage, her sister's insanity and early death, and her brother's questionable business dealings, Barton's homelife early on was anything but stable (Pryor, 2006)