Leadership and Martin Luther King's Dream

(page 2 of 2)

John Lewis, currently a Congressman from Georgia and then the head of a national student group, recalls the fractiousness behind the stage up to nearly the moment of King's speech and the more unified efforts that followed.

King was not a paragon—his doctoral thesis was apparently investigated for plagiarism; there were allegations about his personal life—but the movement did not depend on him alone. Continuing coalition-building ensured room under the big umbrella for many leaders and forms of action. Later, when King shifted to a focus on economic justice, the loose coalition shifted form, and not all organizations trod the same path. But while he was alive and leading, there was a foundation for constructive joint action.

Beliefs worth the risk

King's actions showed the importance of his beliefs. A philosopher King of non-violence, he persisted and persevered through death threats, assaults, and more than 20 arrests. His life was ended by an assassin's bullet in 1968, when he was 38. Even martyred, he was not immediately recognized for his achievements. In 1983, President Reagan signed a bill making King's birthday a federal holiday, but this remained controversial. Not until 2000 was the day celebrated officially in all 50 states.

Unity through service

King called for people to stand in the light of creative altruism rather than the darkness of destructive selfishness. His words were in the tradition of President Kennedy's "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."

Today the national service movement has taken up King's and Kennedy's mantle. The government Corporation for National & Community Service and the volunteer Hands-on Network nationwide define MLK Day as a time for service. City Year, a flagship AmeriCorps program on whose national board I serve, organizes service projects in urban schools, bringing the community together to complete the job of equal opportunity through improved education. Major corporations such as Timberland, T-Mobile, Bank of America, PepsiCo, and Comcast sponsor teams and send employees.

Thinking about King can make all of us pause to dream. Here is mine: I have a dream that, one day, leaders will be known not just by what they accomplish for their own organizations but also for the improvements they stimulate in their communities, nations, and the world.

Provided by Harvard Business—Where Leaders Get Their Edge

Business Exchange

Track and share business topics across the Web.