Summary Of Passing On The Gift: The Story Of Dan West

Dan West was an exceptional man and a great leader. In Passing on the Gift: The Story of Dan West by Glee Yoder, Yoder quotes The Goshen News after Dan West died, “The Church lost a plain and simple man, who saw in every person a divine image; his goal in leadership was to enable others to let this image come alive” (165). Dan West loved the Church of the Brethren. Dedicated to spreading peace, he created the Heifer Project, an organization giving animals such as heifers, goats, chickens, and ducks away to needy families overseas. Creating Heifer Project and being dedicated to the Church of the Brethren, Dan West showed a variety of leadership skills that Kouzes and Poster developed, such as inspire a shared vision, challenge the purpose,

Dan had a dream. Around the world, children were dying from hunger. Sending animals, mainly heifers at this time, over to countries that had starving children was his solution. He talked about his plan to some of his neighbors and local farmers. Some of them saw that even though his dream seemed impossible, it could work; therefore, they formed a committee called “Heifers for Relief.” In this committee, Dan’s job was “inspiring, probing, asking why not, and … serving as a stimulator” while other people worked on organizational procedures (Yoder 102). Able to make his dream become possible, Dan West inspired other people with his dream; he inspired a shared vision. Inspiring a shared vision is one principle of leadership according to Kouzes and Posner. It includes believing in a way to make a difference and inspiring others to join in the cause. Believing that he could make a difference, Dan West fed hungry children around the world. This could not have been done without the help of his friends, neighbors, and farmers. They, too, believed in Dan’s dream and helped it become a reality. Inspiring a shared vision is an important aspect to Dan West’s leadership; however, he also challenged the

He wanted to develop himself and learn. From a young age, Dan loved to read. When he needed to do chores around the house, it was challenging for his mother and sisters to motivate him to do them when he was reading. He read to broaden his horizons and quench his thirst for knowledge (Yoder 22). Even as he grew older, Dan wanted to grow in knowledge and promote activities such as “the peace movement, the development of human potentialities, volunteer programs, and a self-help project” (Yoder 15). He strived for the truth and read and traveled extensively. To learn even more, he questioned people he knew who had varying interests (Yoder 15). Dan West challenged the purpose. According to Kouzes and Posner, challenging the purpose consists of developing and challenging one’s self in order to grow as well as figuring out something new that can be learned. By looking for ways to grow intellectually, Dan West challenged the purpose. He picked other peoples’ brains in order to learn from them and develop himself. Dan West not only challenged the purpose, but he enabled others to