Famous Leaders Without A Formal Education

It’s always a fascinating journey to take a look at famous leaders and see who did or did not have a formal education. There are many such leaders and you may be surprised at who skipped out on college and a degree.

Today, we’re going to look at leaders from around the world who did not have a college education or dropped out before their graduation date. I’ll be honest, I was surprised by some of these.

Man facing clouds and a beautiful sunrise

Photo by Nghia Le

If you think your lack of education will stop you from leading, let this list be an encouragement to you. You don’t need an education to lead. What you do need is passion, wisdom, and the ability to step up when others are sitting down.

18 Leadership Lessons And Quotes From Hidden Figures

A Reel Leadership Article

Hidden Figures is Disney’s latest release telling the story of a team of African-American women who helped NASA send astronaut John Glenn into outer space and return safely.

The movie Hidden Figures shares their struggles as Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer), Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), and Katherine (Goble) Johnson (Taraji P. Henson) crossed gender, racial, and societal lines in a time where African-American women were considered second class citizens.

Hidden Figures leadership lessons

With a story like this, you know Hidden Figures has to be chocked full of leadership lessons. So, let’s dig into the leadership lessons from Hidden Figures.

 

Caution: Hidden Figure spoilers below

Leadership Lessons From The Life Of Astronaut John Glenn

Yesterday, we lost an American hero. Astronaut John Glenn passed away on December 8th, 2016.

Leadership lessons and quotes from John Glenn

John Glenn was the first American to orbit the Earth and the fifth person in Space. After Scott Carpenter passed away, John Glenn was the last surviving member of the Mercury Seven.

Not only did John Glenn go into outer space, he served and retired from the Marine Corps and ran a successful political career winning a seat in the U.S. Senate.

Looking back on his life, we can find signs of leadership throughout it.

Leadership Lessons From The Life Of John Glenn

1. Leaders quit:

When the Japenese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1942, John Glenn dropped out of college and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He quit something important to join an organization he believed in.

People will often think leaders never quit. That’s far from the truth.