Whenever Martin Luther King Jr. is mentioned in conversation, we can hear the phrase play in our head at some point. “I have a dream… that one day… this nation will RIIIIIIIIIISE up… and live out the true meaning of its creed.” These words are both powerful as well as iconic. What one might not realize though is that those words center around what was arguably the most prominent piece in MLK’s leadership style: Having a vision. King believed that in order to become a successful leader, one must be able to communicate their vision to their followers. These kind of people were the ones who had the ability to stand up and challenge the status quo. Quite frankly, it is difficult to argue against him, seeing as the most popular world leaders, at one point or another, led their followers with a concrete idea of the future already in mind.
Another significant and memorable way in which King led in his leadership style was his ability to be courageous. However, King’s courage showed, not through an ability to use brute force to assert his opinions, but through his own method of dealing with confrontation and injustice with peaceful protesting and non-violence. King’s style was tremendously influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, a man known for leading his people through non-violent, disobedience demonstrations. King showed this ability to be courageous through his demonstrations, walks, sit-ins and speeches.
There is a consensual agreeance on labeling Martin Luther King Jr. as a leader in his time. The man was primarily responsible for leading the masses in America through the Civil Rights movement of the 20th century. King had a vision that his children would someday be able to attend school and be recognized as equals to the children of his peer group, regardless of race or origin. He took that vision and created a movement. This movement sparked what would eventually become the downfall of major segregation in the United States.
Written by Travis Moore, Alexandra Scoville, Priscilla Quiah, and Francis Tabua.
Travis, Alex, Priscilla and Tabua,
You all are exactly right – Martin Luther King Jr., is certainly a leader with a crystal clear vision and thorough execution. I think you’ve really identified a true leader who can serve as a sincere example of power through peacefulness. In addition to his clear vision, MLK knew what needed to be said – and said it at just the right time. His positive influence on others always seemed to come from a true place in his heart, and wasn’t just a ploy created by some PR advisors about how to convince a crowd to follow you. I’m really glad you chose him as a leader, and if for no other reason, it’s always nice to be reminded of his incredible impact on our country. I’d be interest, too, to hear from our international colleagues about how MLK is perceived in their countries.
Hi guys,
I did enjoy your presentation of the late Rev. Martin Luther King, jr. One thing I would say, though, I thought your view of him was too reverential. It would’ve have been interesting to have incorporated into your presentation some of the criticisms he grappled with during the Civil Rights era and what that means for his legacy and his leadership style. Malcolm X, for example, was quite critical of him in the early 60s. Other than that, though, it was great work.
Your group gave a great presentation on the leadership styles of Martin Luther King Jr. I remember learning a lot about him in school when I was younger, but I still learned new information about him as a leader during your presentation. He really is a great example of someone who displayed many important characteristics of being a leader. MLK was able to have such a huge impact because he had a clear vision and knew what he needed to do to execute it successfully. Good job!
Hi, both the presentation and the blog were quite interesting. It’s sometimes hard to talk about events and characters that have been discussed much but you managed to keep me in your flow. I also liked one important notice in your blog – King was confronting the injustice for and WITH his children, which is really nice.
Armen
Hello,
Martin Luther King Jr is one of my favorite leaders. I enjoyed how you talked about his courage and his “ability to stand up and challenge the status quo.” He did not back down even at the risk of his own life. Also, I think Armen made an interesting point about how he was working while being a father and I never thought about him in this way. He was a father and did have a family and that is a great risk and it further confirms his courage and tenacity.
Elizabeth