CIP 045. Steel Yourself for Success: Harriet Tubman Takes Command, Leads Her People to the Promise Land

Classic Influence: Timeless Lessons from the Legends

Harriet Tubman was described by one bold abolitionist as “one of the bravest persons on this continent.” Another well-known “conductor” on the Underground Railroad said that Tubman “seemed wholly devoid of personal fear.” After years of daring missions into the lion’s den to help slaves escape, Tubman’s bold courage and skill as a tactician led her to become a spy and a military leader for the Union Army. Listen in and discover the source of her courage and the key secret to her heroic success.

Episode Overview: Harriet Tubman was born into bondage circa 1822 in the slave state of Maryland. After decades of enduring the evil institution, including backbreaking work on a plantation, she was determined to make her escape. “There was one of two things I had a right to,” she remembered thinking at the time, “liberty or death; if I could not have one, I would have the other.” And, so, late one cool evening in October 1849, Harriet Tubman set out to attain her freedom, trudging 90 miles alone, through thick woods and across rocky streams along the Choptank River, all under the cover of darkness. So begins the heroic journey of an American legend. In this episode of Classic Influence, we travel back to pre-Civil War America to learn how Harriet Tubman, a selfless and big-hearted young woman, was transformed into a commanding, undisputed leader, tactician, freedom fighter, and spy, ultimately leading a successful military regiment in Lincoln’s Union Army during the Civil War. Listen in and learn the underlying principles of Tubman’s triumphs and the timeless lessons her story has for overcoming the tough challenges and obstacles you face today.