Great leaders always leave their mark on the world with people remembering their messages, motivations, and ideas years after they have passed. This is exactly the legacy of Martin Luther King or MLK. Martin left his legacy all over the United States, he still has buildings, monuments, streets, named after himself because of the impact he made and because of the leader he was. He exemplified a multitude of the traits we have learned from this week’s lesson such as drive, honesty and integrity, and a desire to lead (PSU W.C 2020 L2). Due to these exemplified characteristics his lasting impressions are still relative today although leaving us fifty-two years ago.
The first trait mentioned above that MLK exemplified his actions of was his drive. He had total commitment to his cause, his most notable speech “I have a dream” is still recited today and is one of the most notable and powerful speeches in United States history. He was a voice for so many people when they did not have one, he was the leader of a movement with an entire population of the United States behind him. He served as the catalyst for the civil rights in 1964. He led a social movement unlike any before, and his drive was the reason is had the lasting impressions that it has today. Even though his life was constantly threatened, and he put himself at risk every day and every time he gave a speech, he still put that behind himself and led a group of people and changed the world.
Another example of an excellent leader which we have explored in this week’s lesson was that of honesty and integrity which was another trait that MLK had shown numerously throughout his life. He was true to his intentions and never hid or dismissed any of his thoughts in fear of putting his own life at risk. “I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation” was a quote from his speech at the Washington Monument in front of two hundred and fifty thousand people. He was not scared that vocalizing his wants for equality could hurt him, instead he was honest and stayed true to his beliefs which is a quality of an excellent leader.
Finally, the third trait I believe he exemplified of a tremendous leader was a desire to lead. Obviously, he had an immense desire to lead. He stood in front of hundreds of thousands of people to speak of an issue that was only preached about in front of small communities. As said before, he was the face of the entire movement. It was because of him that our whole world changed, and it was because of his desire to lead and change the world for his children, and his grandchildren. Without his desire to lead our world could look a lot different. He was a truly magnificent leader.
Overall Martin Luther King will be remembered forever, whether it was for his bravery, courage, or persistence he will be forever the one who changed the United States for the better. His leaderships style will also be remembered forever, he has shown an abundance of qualities of a great leader, more than highlighted in this blog post.
Sources:
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. 7th Edition. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2016). PSYCH 485 Lesson 2: Emotional and Social Intelligence. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2075467/modules/items/30110379
Toren, Adam. “3 Important Leadership Lessons From Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” Entrepreneur, 20 Jan. 2020, www.entrepreneur.com/article/230958.
The world has different types of leaders who serve under various capacities. For instance, presidents, prime ministers, governors, congressmen and women, senators, managers, directors, teachers, pastors, bishops, and many more, are regarded as leaders based on what they do under their assigned jurisdictions. A father is also considered as a leader since he heads an unit called the family. Scrutiny of all these individuals will reveal certain traits that make people refer to them as leaders. Perhaps, it is the role they play in providing solutions, settling disputes, assigning tasks, among other functions that automatically qualify them to earn the title of leaders. There are distinct qualities that an individual seeking to become a leader must portray. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influentual leaders in America History. His achievements and guidance left a mark on our country. What stands out the most are the traits, which he displayed that made him a key figure during his time, and one that is still respected and valued today.
Leading from the front
Experience has taught me that true leaders lead from the front. Leading from the front implies being the first in line. MLK Jr. was not a leader who gave speeches in the comfort of his home while his followers were out on the street. During his time, Dr. King was sentenced to prison as a way of ensuring that his influence ceased to grow. That did not stop him since even when he was behind bars, he communicated to his followers through letters.
By serving his time in prison, Dr. King demonstrated that as a leader he had the tolerance to face his tribulations, and at the same time the confidence to continue with his cause even amidst trying moments. Ahmed and Bach (2014), list these two qualities (self-confidence and tolerance) among the imperative traits that a leader must portray. The authors appreciate that leaders will face situations that are stressful both to their mind and body. While a real leader would still stick to his beliefs when faced with the harshest of conditions, leaders who are not genuine will give up and abandon the cause. By showcasing the two highlighted qualities, Dr. King showed the true meaning of what makes a good leader.
Effective leadership
MLK Jr. was indeed an extraordinary leader based on his ability to play his role effectively. Effectiveness in leadership comes from how leaders guide other people to follow them and fulfil the tasks they ask them to do (Madanchian et al., 2017). It is difficult to argue that Dr. King was not an effective leader. For example, he marshalled people to show up and demand their rights by demonstrating and making their voices heard.
The world has also seen effective leaders in the present era. I am one person who considers some political leaders to be effective. Their effectiveness is demistated in how they ask their supporters to turn out and vote for him/her. Just like Martin Luther King Jr., they too demonstrate their effectiveness in their leadership roles.
Leaders leave a mark
Your blog accurately depicts MLK Jr. as a man who left a mark through his role as a leader. In my view, this trait makes Dr. King an iconic leader. A true leader must leave a mark that others will remember for a long time. For this to happen, a leader must undergo a process. The process, in this case, entails events that occur between the leader and the followers ((PSU WC, 2016, L. 1). Such processes are usually not rosy. In most circumstances, they contain challenges that sometimes may result in death. Martin Luther King Jr., under leadership capacity, went through the process entirely and was there with his people through
every part of the journey. I think that being part of that process added by the sacrifices that he made individually sum up why he remains a memorable leader that many hope to emulate.
Emotional Intelligence (E.I.)
Emotional Intelligence (E.I.) is another fundamental quality that a leader should portray. E.I. ideally implies having the awareness to understand and notice what others are feeling (PSU WC, 2016, L. 2). Emotional Intelligence directs leaders to the pressing matters that the people they are representing are facing and helps them create a solution on how to overcome problems. Dr. King portrayed high levels of emotional intelligence. He did not start his journey to achieve personal gain. He led with the sole purpose of alleviating his people from the pain and suffering they were facing. All his speeches were not about him but rather of ensuring equalitly for all. Even when he dreamt, Dr. King dreamt of a positive future, not for himself but for his children and furture generations. Guided by his desire to ensure a better future for others, Martin Luther King Jr. demonstrated that great leaders should only have plans that will benefit others and not themselves. That forms the basis of emotional Intelligence.
Honesty and Integrity
Honesty and integrity are both virtues that Martin Luther King Jr. showcased as a leader. Unfortunately, the world today is full of individuals who are neither honest nor have integrity. For example, it has become a common trend to witness elected leaders and others who serve under different capacities become part of scandals that indicate their lack of integrity. Leaders implicated in corruption lack integrity and should, therefore, cease being leaders and let others take over instead. People who are led by dishonest individuals who lack integrity can never get the proper guidance.
Outstanding leadership entails acceptable ethical practices. Integrity and honesty are traits that a moral leader should have (Ahmed & Boch, 2014). Dr. King, according to this definition, was an ethical leader since he demonstrated both of these qualities in everything that he did. He was honest in the way he spoke his mind. He never backed down from saying things even if he knew his statements would land him in trouble.
Power and leadership
The concept of power as it entails leadership is presently flawed by wrong ideas. Powerful leaders have led different countries in the past years. However, some of them have used their positions to frustrate others and do things which are against the law. Power, as a trait of leadership, involves having the capacity to influence others (Northouse, 2016). This definition accurately depicts MLK as a leader who had power. Unlike other leaders who draw their power from military prowess, Dr. King obtained his by influencing people and guiding them towards accomplishing their dreams for a better future.
The qualities of Dr. King, as highlighted in your blog, accurately depict him as a leader. He tops the list as one of the best leaders the world has ever lived. His traits as a person and desire to make the lives of others better set him apart from other leaders. He showed that he was willing to suffer for the sake of others. He was also not afraid to take a stand for what he believed. Current and future leaders should follow his style.
References
Ahmed, A. D., & Bach, C. (2014). Major Traits/Qualities of Leadership. International Journal of Innovation and Scientific Research, 3(120).
Madanchian, M., Hussein, N., Noordin, F., & Taherdoost, H. (2017). Leadership Effectiveness Measurement and Its Effect on Organization Outcomes. ScienceDirect.
Northouse, P.G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. 7th Edition. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.
Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2020). PSYCH 485 Lesson 1: Introduction to Leadership. Retrieved from https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/canvas/fa20/22081–15503/content/02_lesson/printlesson.html
Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2016). PSYCH 485 Lesson 2: Emotional and Social Intelligence. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2075467/modules/items/30110379
This was a very good post about Martin Luther King. You really highlighted some of his best leadership characteristics. I cannot help but think how he demonstrated a lot of qualities from transformational leadership before it was widely known about or studied. There really are not that many aspects of this type of leadership that cannot be applied to his efforts or style. The transformational approach deals with charisma, follower development, and intrinsic motivation (Northouse, 2016). I really cannot think of another leader who wanted to empower his followers so they could rise to success than MLK.
He was also pretty revolutionary for the time period. He was speaking out about racial injustice in a time that was extremely dangerous for blacks as you mentioned. It is much easier for people to speak up on race related issues these days, and I cannot imagine how hard it must have been during his time. Nevertheless he had a passion and vocalized it in peaceful ways which is very commendable. His transformational style fit well for that era as it is widely accepted when people are looking to be inspired, motivated, and empowered during uncertain times (Northouse, 2016).
The main aspects of the transformational leadership process revolve around emotions, values, ethics, standards, and long-term goals (Northouse, 2016). MLK sure demonstrated all of these concepts by promoting human values, organizing himself and his speeches in ethical ways without violence, attempting to set new standards for how the black community should be treated, and trying to set long-term goals for how blacks should interact with whites and how peaceful assimilation of the two groups should last into the future.
When Martin Luther King set out to create change in the world he knew what his followers wanted and needed and he desired to fulfill those voids while promoting the idea that African Americans are just like everyone else and they are of value to society. This also coincides with transformational leadership because it is a style that is focused on the assessment of follower’s motives, satisfying those needs, and treating those involved as human beings (Northouse, 2016). He obviously had tremendous influence on those who followed him or else he and his visions would not be as widely respected and cherished as they are today. This fits well with the transformational approach as it deals heavily with an exceptional ability to influence others to accomplish more than just a simple standard, and includes aspects of visionary leadership (Northouse, 2016). It would be hard to argue that MLK was not an exceptional visionary leader, especially considering his most famous speech.
Martin Luther King certainly sought to transform himself and those who followed him into something greater and more accepted and respected. This is exactly what transformational leadership is about. It can be applied to small groups or entire organizations and cultures which is what he was attempting to do (Northouse, 2016). Furthermore, this type of leadership is one where “followers and leaders are inextricably bound together in the transformation process” (Northouse, 2016, p. 161). This means that it is not a concept that only goes one way but is more like a back and forth interaction between the leader and their followers where inspiration and motivation is a shared experience. I cannot think of a better example of this than MLK and his followers because they sought to create change together, to motivate one another, and to empower everyone to succeed in reaching a higher level of acceptance.
Very good post.
Matt Smolka
Reference:
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice. [MBS Direct]. Retrieved from https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781483317540/