What Corporate Leaders Can Learn From Dr. King

                                                                                    Image by L. Kragt Bakker

As the US prepares to inaugurate President Barack H. Obama for a second term, it makes sense to think about where the country is headed. Not only is President Obama leading the country, we in the US are following. It’s easy to say: we follow because he is the elected president. So, why do we follow leaders who are not elected? Or, what makes a great leader?

Because it’s also the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, this gives us an example of a great leader to examine. It’s true that Dr. King was charismatic, but charisma only takes you so far. Charisma is like a candle. It may burn bright, but eventually it burns out. Unless there are other attributes to keep interest, it’s a short-lived experience.

Dr. King was a great leader because his strengths went beyond his ability to captivate. An intelligent and studious man, Dr. King prepared for every speech, article, match and conversation. His writings and oration included scripture, spiritualism, historical fact and intellectual concepts. Simple ideas of right and wrong were presented on multiple planes.

Although Dr. King was African-American, his work was not to help better his own existence. He took a stand for others, people outside his immediate community and eventually the world. In addition to being a non-violent leader in the civil rights movement, he eventually took on poverty and the Vietnam War. Leaders must possess pathos to be able to say and truly mean: we cannot stand for things to continue this way.

It seems silly to say a great leader must also be organized, but Dr. King most definitely wasn’t the person on the ground organizing every visit and every march. Too many inexperienced CEOs believe they must have their hand in everything to make sure it’s done the way they would want it. This is the sign of someone who happens to currently be in charge not a leader. Micromanaging is one of the clearest signs of a non-leader.

Lastly, a great leader must be willing to sacrifice. I don’t mean the ultimate sacrifice that Dr. King made. A leader must be willing to sacrifice their time, comfort and sometimes even their dignity for the good of the organization, cause, employees or shareholders. With this complete definition, there aren’t many truly great leaders, but when you find one, they can lead well beyond the horizon.

Comments

[kat]

Very true - I would add that another thing a great leader does is encourage/mentor others- so that when that person is no longer there- the ideals/goals continue on.

[Kris Bondi]

Kat -

You're correct. Encouragement and mentoring are most important. I believe they're not only traits of a great leader, they're a responsibility.

-Kris

[Roxanne_Hawkins]

Great Post. I agree, Micromanagement is a clear sign of not trusting your team. And if you can't trust the individuals you've placed in leadership positions in your organization, then true success will not be achieved.