All people are not born to lead, but they can still have a positive affect within their organization. Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal (Northouse, 2016). Leaders come from all types of backgrounds, which brings different aspects of leading into their organizations. One can be a leader within a group, organization, or team. Usually there is one person within a group that is willing to take charge and lead. There are good leaders and there are bad leaders, but the key is to be the best leader you can be for your followers. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a phenomenal leader and some of the traits that he possessed were intelligence, self-confidence, and determination.
As a leader, being intelligent is very important within an organization because a leader is expected to know a lot. Continual learning both formally and informally can help to develop and maintain your intellectual skills. Formally you can take different courses available within your organization to further improve your knowledge. In the military, there are tons of formal courses available to gain knowledge. In regards to informal ways to continually learn, you can read books. Educate yourself so that you can in turn educate those that you lead. Being intelligent does not mean that you have to be arrogant because your followers will not respect you for that. Be humble and be smart!
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was a successful leader of the African American civil rights movement in the United States. He was intelligent in the fact that he was able to lead African Americans in a nonviolent way to the advancement of civil rights. He was powerful and he used his power to influence the believers. Dr. King was educated receiving his Doctorate of Philosophy in Systematic Theology from Boston University. Having strong verbal ability, perceptual ability, and reasoning appears to make one a better leader (Northouse, 2016). His verbal ability was extremely strong. The “I Have a Dream” speech was delivered during the march on Washington where he called for an end to racism. Over 40 years later the powerful speech lives on. Dr. King inspired many with his speech.
Possessing self-confidence is also a major trait for a leader to possess. Self-confidence is the ability to be certain about one’s competencies and skills (Northouse, 2016). If you are confident in your actions then you will gain the trust of your followers. No one wants to be guided by someone that is unsure and incompetent. As a leader, they must be confident in themselves to make the right decisions at the right time. Dr. King’s confidence and poise drew followers. He was confident in his abilities to lead the African American community to one day be treated equal. Had Dr. King lacked self-confidence he would not have been able to change the lives of the African American people. Dr. King did not let any negatives against him stop him from achieving greatness.
Lastly, the trait of a good leader is having determination. Determination is the desire to get the job done (Northouse, 2016). Dr. King was determined to fulfill his dream of one day being treated as equal. His drive and passion inspired others to follow him. Even when times were rough and he was put into prison, he still did not waiver. He continued his nonviolent journey for the African American people. Dr. King put himself and dangerous situations for his people and he gave it all. The perseverance that Dr. King had was why his movement was so powerful. In the end, he paid the ultimate sacrifice as he fought for freedom. He was assassinated by James Earl Ray in Memphis, Tennessee. Despite the turmoil that he faced with, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. His life and work have been honored with a national holiday, schools and public buildings named after him, and a memorial on Independence Mall in Washington DC (Assefa, 2016). Had Dr. King not been determined; he would not have received all the accolades.
Even though everyone is not born to lead, they can still make a difference within their organization. One can possess different leadership traits that will help them to be effective leaders within their organization. Dr. King was the one person within his group of African Americans to take charge. He excelled in every aspect to lead his people to being treated as equal. The leadership traits that he possessed allowed him to fulfill his dream. Dr. King showed that he was the best leader that he could be. Even though he is no longer alive, his legacy lives on.
References:
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
Assefa, H. (2016). Martin Luther King Jr.: Restoring streets with his name – CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/18/us/martin-luther-king-jr-streets/index.html.
Lauren Wallace says
Martin Luther King JR’s traits made him not only a great leader but also a transformational one. He had the ability to provide inspirational motivation to his followers, for example in the speech you mentioned in your post Martin Luther King JR appeals to his followers using “symbols and emotional appeals to focus group members’ efforts to achieve more than they would in their own self-interest.” (Northouse, 2016, p.169) He was a charismatic speaker who not only inspired his followers by being a great orator but a great role model as well. Throughout his fight for racial justice he refused to condone or be a part of violence against his oppressors. He lead by example and was committed to his own high moral and ethical standards of conduct. “People who exhibit transformational leadership often have a strong set of internal values and ideals, and they are effective at motivating followers. (Northouse, 2016, p.167) His followers deeply respected and trusted him to do the right thing which allowed him to “provide a vision and a sense of mission” for them to work towards peacefully. (Northouse, 2016, p.167) His strong traits as a leader allowed him to become an idealized influence and inspirational motivation which are two factors that support his capacity as one of the most transformational leaders of our time.
References
Northouse, P.G. (2016) Leadership: Theory and Practice (7th Ed.) Los Angeles: Sage Publications
nxs5194 says
Martin Luther King Jr was a man of his word. He had a mission and he set his mind to achieving his goals and what he believed in. Leadership is a process in which an individual has the ability to influence a group of individuals in achieving a common goal. (Northouse, 2016) As you mentioned, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was in fact a phenomenal leader who possessed many positive traits including intelligence, self-confidence, and determination. He was a man who displayed many leadership theories in his style and I believe one of the most relevant to be Servant Leadership.
According to Northouse (2016) Servant Leadership begins when an individual has a natural feelings and wants to serve, first. Once an individual understands and realizes such, then they make the conscious decision to lead. A servant makes sure that the feelings of others are considered first, which is exactly what Martin Luther King Jr did. There are ten main characteristics of a Servant Leader and they include listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship and committing to the growth of people. (Northouse, 2016) MLK displayed and lived each of these traits, day after day to their full ability. He was a man who wanted change and sought it out, for the good of other people. He made a difference across the United States and in the immediate lives of many.
Many individuals want change however most do not know or understand how to seek it. MLK had no issues with seeking and implementing change as it was something that he truly believed in. He listened to what others had to say, he felt empathy toward what many individuals were going through, he wanted to heal the pain that many people felt, he understood and wanted to make everyone aware of his beliefs and why they were the best to believe in. The most important thing to remember is that Dr. MLK knew that his journey would be a difficult one yet stood by it until the very end. He wanted people to remember him for the differences he fought for and the justice he wanted and not recognized and remembered for the awards he was honored with. He cared more about the cause he was fighting for and the individuals who were affected by it, than for any reward who could have ever earned. For these reasons alone, I believe he is the perfect example of a more modern day Servant Leader. (Benedictine University, 2016) Dr. MLK proved to be a very strong leader on many levels. You had clearly showed and explained his strengths including intelligence, self-confidence and determination. He was a man of his word, cared more about others than himself and wouldn’t stop until he made a difference.
Works Cited:
Northouse, Peter G. Leadership: Theory and Practice – 7th edition. SAGE Publications. 2016.
Assefa, Haimy. Restoring MLK’s Dream, Street by Street. Retrieved from cnn.com on November 6, 2016. http://www.cnn.com/2016/01/18/us/martin-luther-king-jr-streets
Bio. Martin Luther King Jr. Retrieved from biography.com on November 6, 2016. http://www.biography.com/people/martin-luther-king-jr-9365086
Define Your Path. Who are these servant leaders? Retrieved from Benedictine University on November 6, 2016. http://online.ben.edu/programs/ba-org-leadership/resources/who-are-these-servant-leaders