Here is a brief excerpt from an article written by Nancy F. Koehn that appeared in The New York Times in which she discusses Rachel Carson, one of the great heroines of the 20th century whose heritage was multi-faceted and has had enduring impact. To read the complete article, please click here.

Photo Credit: Alfred Eisenstaedt/Time Life Pictures, via Getty Images

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She was a slight, soft-spoken woman who preferred walking the Maine shorelineRachel Carson, the author of Silent Spring, played a central role in starting the environmental movement, by forcing government and business to confront the dangers of pesticides.

In Silent Spring, published 50 years ago, Rachel Carson warned about pesticides’ toll on nature.

Carson was a scientist with a lyrical bent, who saw it as her mission to share her observations with a wider audience. In the course of her work, she also felt called upon to become a leader — and was no less powerful for being a reluctant one.

As a professor at Harvard Business School, I encountered the great depth of her work when I was creating a course on the history of leadership. I was amazed to learn she wrote Silent Spring  as she battled breast cancer and cared for a young child. After the book was published, 50 years ago last month, she faced an outburst of public reaction and a backlash from chemical companies. Yet throughout her personal and public struggles, she was an informed spokeswoman for environmental responsibility.

She was a classic introvert who exhibited few of the typical qualities associated with leadership, like charisma and aggressiveness. But as people like Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, have pointed out, leadership can come in less obvious forms.

Carson’s life shows that individual agency, fueled by resolution and hard work, has the power to change the world. In this election year, when so much influence seems concentrated in “super PACs,” lobbying groups and other moneyed interests, her story is a reminder that one person’s quiet leadership can make a difference.

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To read the complete article, please click here.

The James E. Robison Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, Koehn examines relevant lessons, individuals and moments from the past to inspire solutions to today’s issues. She is a frequent commentator on NPR, contributor to The New York Times and ranked among the World’s 50 Best Business School Professors.