Lessons from Dr. King: Leading with Courage and Connection
About ten years ago, our company decided to make MLK Day a company holiday. (Many companies in the U.S. elect to work on this day.) We intentionally made this choice to honor and reflect on the character, example, and message of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And so this week, my family and I watched Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. I continue to be awed by what it represents. This is what struck me most this year:
Key Takeaways from “I Have a Dream” Speech
- Communicate courageously. When Dr. King stood in front of a crowd on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and communicated a provocative opinion, he demonstrated incredible bravery. Chris Anderson, creator of TED Talks, said, “There are so many truly brilliant people with world-changing ideas that are stuck because they can’t communicate to a big enough audience.”
It also requires courage to cast a positive vision as opposed to criticizing, condemning, or complaining in that moment. It would have been much easier for Dr. King, like so many loud voices today, to just rage against the system and the “other side.” That’s not to say he shies away from mentioning specific people and places that fuel injustice. But he uses these examples to create a tension between current reality and a desired future. It’s how great leaders inspire action, as Simon Sinek says. This is what it means to replace fear with courage.
- Set all men and women free. I love the lines: “I have a dream…where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character!” and “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal,” and “Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last!” Our country has made great progress in breaking the bonds of slavery, but people still live in chains everywhere. Chains of discrimination, chains of hate, chains of poverty, chains of career immobility, chains of isolation, and chains of self-imposed mental limits. Our work in life is to free ourselves and others from these chains. That freedom is for everyone, at every level, in every organization and society, regardless of education, appearance, belief, or past mistakes. That is what it means to be great and focus on others.
I’m grateful to represent the work of Dale Carnegie in the world. This is what our company is all about. We help people get past what scares them to live a fuller more connected life. That was Dr. King’s dream. Racism and discrimination is a product of fear and isolation. Dr. King shows this courage and connection in action. And he inspires us to do the same.
I have a dream where you and I can continue to do this for ourselves, our families, each other, our customers, and our communities.
Comments are closed here.