The annual calendar in America contains dates to honor great leadership. MLK Day is one such date and a great time to reflect on what it means to lead. What is it about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that makes us see him as a leader? And what do we learn from his style?
Many years ago a friend of mine wrote a book called “Say it straight or you’ll show it crooked.” I don’t remember too much about the book, but I do remember that sentence. Leading – whether in politics, sports, business, the arts, and non-profits – requires saying it like it is. You can’t get people to go where you want them to be without being honest with them about where they are now. No one ever doubted where Dr. King wanted to take this nation.
When President Franklin Delano Roosevelt addressed the nation in response to the assault on Pearl Harbor he appealed to both the people’s minds and their hearts. He said, “All we have to fear is fear itself.” Leaders take advantage of all of the assets of those who they wish to lead – their minds, their hearts and their spirits.
“Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” These words of Gen. Dwight Eisenhower teach us that you can’t lead simply by command. People must share the values and intentions that you, as a leader embody and display. Dr. King understood that he was the inspiration for others to do what they knew was the right thing.
Most of all, leadership is vision. To avoid being stuck in the status quo, people need to know there is a better day to come. A leader is that person who can take them there – or at least proclaims so. That’s the power of Dr. King’s “I have a dream” speech. It’s why so many new and young voters were drawn to Barack Obama’s message of “hope and change.” And it’s why some men succeed as quarterbacks in the National Football League and many more do not.
As a non-profit leader, how do you measure up? Today – MLK Day – might be a good day to decide how to become a better leader.
No comments:
Post a Comment