Laura Secord
An Amazing Leader
Who is Laura Secord?
Laura Secord, wife of sergeant James Secord, was a very courageous and brave induvidual. Laura was born on September 13 1775 and died on October 17 1868. She was a huge part of the war of 1812 and her actions displayed her thoughtfulness, bravery and perseverance through her leadership during these events.
Courage
Laura Secord was known for her fearless deeds, and that's one of the reasons why she is considered such a good leader. This is displayed when Laura saved her husband, James, from a battlefield after he went missing for a few days. Laura was so overly worried about James, that she felt like she had no choice but to head into the post-war battlefield in search of him. This shows us her heroism because you would never see such a confident lady during this time (i.e 1800's was a very modest time). She had also crossed passed morbid dead bodies, blood and guns as she found her husband wounded. Laura helped him get home even past all of the horrid sights as well. Secord's courage through this event made me recall one of Nelson Mandela's lessons "Courage is not the absence of fear, its inspiring others to move beyond it". In this case, Laura was assumingly frightened by the sights she saw, but still managed to retrieve her husband using all the bravery she had. She had inspired people of that time, and people of today to have self confidence, strength and courage. She showed us that you did not have to reach a certain level to achieve something, and that it's okay to step outside of the box. Laura's traits of leadership was also very prominent during this case. To start, Laura was very over-achieving because she had went out of her way, and put herself in danger to save her husband. In addition to that, Laura understood her husband's problem when he severely injured, and was quick to aid him back to the house. Furthermore, Laura had also been very disciplined as she walked through the horrific sights because she was not being distracted and was focused on saving James. In general, I think Laura Secord set an idea for future generations about how anyone can be courageous, as long as they put their mind to it.
Intelligence and Perseverance
Another reason why Laura is such a great leader is because of her Intelligence and perseverance. This is proven when she had walked over 32 km to help out the British colony back in 1812. It first started when American Officers were having dinner at the Secord home and she had overheard them planning a surprise attack in the DeCew house. James, of course, could not stop the Americans as he was severely injured. But, Laura had the idea to go herself on an eighteen hour walk to warn Fitzgibbon (a british soldier) to warn them, and that is exactly what she did. Her striving and perseverance as she walked was incredible for as she was very old. Not only that, but Laura had to go through this on a hot summer day with damp bogs soaking and tearing her clothes. She had finally warned the British Crown, and this eventually lead to the peace treaty between Canada and the U.S. being signed on June 24th 1813. This event is another example of what Nelson Mandela has taught us "Keep your friends close and your rivals even closer". Even though Laura was thoughtful enough to give American officers dinner, she still thought of them as rivals. She gained access to information she couldn't have gotten if she was completely against them, and this lead her to find out about the surprise attack. Once she warned the British, soon the peace treaty was signed. Through this event Laura had shown her many leadership skills as well. Firstly she was being adaptable to the situation by getting through the rough climates and obstacles. As well, she was achieving her objectives to warn Fitzgibbon and persevering for what she believed in. Laura was also very disciplined and patient as she walked for the eighteen hours which is also a very good leading trait. Overall, Laura had really set an example of setting goals and being intelligent to be able to achieve them.
Positivity
Nelson Mandela had also taught us that "Appearances matter, and remember to smile". This meant it was important to have and spread positivism even when times are rough, and this is and example what Laura and her husband did when they were in poverty. After the war of 1812, the Secords did not have a lot of money, but James got small pension from the war. Instead of using this money on themselves, Laura decided to use it in a school for the Chippawa kids at their cottage, while James became a collector of customs also at Chippawa. This act of generosity is Laura's way of spreading good vibes across the Chippawa cottage, even when she did not have a lot of money. She had thought about other people rather than herself which also gave off positive energy. Laura had also displayed some leadership traits as well. She was resourceful with her money and put it on promoting education. She also understood the problems and needs of her cottage community, and used the money to lead the school. Laura even gave confidence to her community with her radiant energy. Unfortunately, when James had died, he left Laura with financial issues and they had to close down the school, but she had left a mark that no one would forget.
Conclusion
Overall, Laura Secord was a great woman of the 18th century and she had proven that all it takes to achieve your goals is perseverance, courage and patience. She had also stayed positive in her journeys and displayed examples relating to many of Nelson Mandela's life lessons as well. Secord will always be remembered for her great leadership and inspiration to others around the world.
Bibliography
- P. O'connor, Frank "Laura Secord, A Legendary Figure" Laura Secord. Laura Secord Company, 2012
http://www.laurasecord.ca/en/pages/history - Mackenzie, Ruth "Biography of Laura Secord" War of 1812 Website. University of Toronto, 2000
http://www.warof1812.ca/laurasecord.htm - Neilson, Laura "Secord, Laura" War of 1812. RCGS/HDI/Parks Canada, 2011
http://www.eighteentwelve.ca/?q=eng/Topic/43 - Unknown "Laura Secord 'A Part of Our Heritage'" Historica Canada. Historica Canada.
https://www.historicacanada.ca/content/heritage-minutes/laura-secord - Neilson, Laura Bonikowsky "Laura Secord", The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Foundation, March 24 2011.
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/laura-secord/