5 Leadership Lessons from John Lewis

John Lewis, a United States Congressman and a civil rights hero, died last night at the age of 80 from pancreatic cancer. Long before he was elected to Congress, John Lewis was at the front lines for so much of the civil rights movement in the United States. He was at the lunch counter sit ins. He was at Selma. He was on the Freedom Riders bus. He was a speaker at the March on Washington, where Dr. King shared his "I Have a Dream" speech. He was a huge part of American history. Here are 5 leadership lessons from John Lewis.

1 - Stand By Your Principles - Lewis subscribed to the non-violent protest principles taught by Mahatma Gandhi in India and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. As a college student, he was trained in methods to remain peaceful in the face of violence from counter-protesters. Lewis became the head of the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Even though he was beaten several times while peacefully protesting, he remained peaceful.

2 - Be Willing to Be Judged - After he was arrested for a peaceful sit-in protest in Nashville trying to desegregate lunch counters, Lewis' mother sent him a letter telling him he was bringing shame on the family by being arrested and getting involved with the protests. Lewis wrote her back telling her that he was doing what he thought was right. Decades later, he said he never forgot that exchange of letters. As a college commencement speaker years later, Lewis summed it up this way: "When I was your age, some maybe thought I was just a little off. Maybe a little maladjusted. But sometimes you have to be a little maladjusted."

3 - Be Resilient - Lewis paid a heavy price for leading protests for civil rights. He suffered many physical injuries from police and counter-protesters, including a fractured skull in Selma. He would be arrested for protesting over 40 times over his lifetime. But he kept at it. He later summarized it this way: "I didn't ask to be beaten on the bridge. I don't like pain. I don't like to suffer in a hospital. But if that's the price you have to pay to make things better for others, I was willing to pay that price."

4 - Know When to Compromise - As the leader of the leader of the Student Non-Violence Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Lewis was one of the speakers at the March on Washington in 1963 that became famous for Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Lewis wanted to say in his speech that he could not support President Kennedy's planned civil rights bill because it did not go far enough. Dr. King and other leaders wanted the event to show unity across all the groups speaking that day in supporting Kennedy's efforts. While Lewis never relented while being battered and bruised on the front lines of the protests, Lewis compromised that day.

5 - Forgive - Lewis was beaten severely in South Carolina while he was a Freedom Rider to desegregate interstate buses across the South in 1961. In 2009, the man who beat Lewis in South Carolina came forth in the press to admit his deeds. He traveled to Washington DC and Congressman Lewis forgave him on television and hugged him.

The United States lost a great leader and a giant peace of our history last night with Congressman Lewis' passing. If you would like to learn more about Lewis, I highly recommend this one hour documentary about him that is available for free on PBS.org that is the source of the information in this article.

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About the Author: Victor Prince is a corporate trainer, executive coach, and best-selling author who helps organizations build leadership, strategy, communications, and critical thinking skills. Follow Victor on LinkedIN to access his 100+ articles on leadership, strategy, learning & development, and more.