3 Leadership Lessons from Martin Luther King, Jr.

Photo credits: Library of Congress, New York World-Telegram & Sun Collection By: Durga Elamaran The late Sir Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” Born on January 15 1929, King had always been a bright and ambitious individual. He entered college at 15 and stood high in the world by the age of 27. Even though he was offered numerous high paying jobs, he chose to fight for the freedom and rights of his fellow African-Americans, inspiring people around the world with his leadership and vision. Here are three leadership lessons that we can learn from the extraordinary Nobel Peace Prize winner and humanitarian. Effective communication is key Till today, King’s “I have a dream” speech has the power to inspire. His speech displayed the impact that effective communication can have on an individual. Undeniably, not it is important to harness good message delivery skills. Having a concrete vision is necessary but if you are unable to communicate it well through your words and actions, you might fail at pushing your team to achieve optimal results. You must first understand that being a good talker and a good communicator are entirely different. What separates good communicators from poor conversationalists is not the use of flowery or bombastic language. As demonstrated by King himself, it is actually the subtler elements of communication that leave a memorable impact. King’s ability to convey ideas that also speak to the emotions and aspirations of others also highlights the importance of situational and contextual awareness. After all, by understanding and addressing the needs of your team, you will be in a better position to relate to and inspire them. Take leaps of faith King is best known for his efforts in combating racial inequality through nonviolence. He believed that it took more courage to turn down a fight than retaliate with violence. King constantly told his people to tackle problems through peaceful means. Though he enforced this belief, he never knew how it would pan out – he merely had faith and was willing to give it a shot. As a leader, you may also have to make difficult decisions. Doing what’s right instead of what’s easy might sound terrifying but as long as you are acting with the interests of your team at heart, you will be on your way to becoming a respected leader. Staying in your own little bubble won’t do any good for you or your team either. Step out and be bold enough to create new initiatives with your team. And if you feel unsure at any point of time, remember what King said – “Faith is taking the first step even when you can’t see the whole staircase.” Walk the talk Actions always speak louder than words. King’s numerous speeches would have been empty promises if not for his brave actions in Alabama. King and other leaders agreed to boycott buses as part of a protest. They wanted bus drivers to treat African-American passengers politely. Ultimately, King’s actions garnered the trust and respect of people. He was even elected the president of the organisation that headed the protest movement. Don’t just dream big – do big. Be willing to walk the talk because at the end of the day, people respect and follow those who lead by example. Do you know of other career lessons that we could learn for King? Share with us in the comment box below! The JobsCentral Group, a CareerBuilder company, is the owner of JobsCentral.com.sg, one of Singapore's largest job and learning portals. Get a free career personality test and more career- and education-related articles at JobsCentral and JobsCentral Community. Alternatively, Like us on JobsCentral Facebook Page or Follow JobsCentral on Twitter for more career-centric content!