Dr. King's walking boots

The next time, or your first time in Atlanta, these are must-do stops. Go to Martin Luther King’s birthplace. Go to The King Center. Go to the Ebenezer Church. And go to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.?

If you follow Dr. King’s life through these various locations you’ll gain a deep understanding of him as a leader and as a human being. You’ll also come to understand that King was a reluctant leader.

His passion was preaching. Preaching is teaching. King is a model for the leader as teacher. This was one of his great strengths. His ability to distill complex issues and communicate various, often disparate perspectives helped him forge alliances with people who were often at odds with one another.?

You’ll also come to understand that he was a reluctant leader. He did not seek out the spotlight. His ambition was not national or international fame. He never sought nor did he enjoy any significant material wealth from his work. As I said, his passion was preaching and he would have been very content to serve his congregation.?

He did, however, have a deep sense of responsibility to his community and the cause of civil rights. While he often expressed that there were more worthy candidates for leadership in the movement, he accepted and embraced his role as it developed and in so doing, shaped the course of history as few others might have.?

I believe the key ingredient in King’s effective leadership was his ability to inspire. The lesson for us is that his incredible capacity to connect with people’s hearts was not just something he was born with. He was certainly raised with and exposed to some of the most powerful inspirational voices in the church, but he worked diligently at his craft and studied how those who went before him moved people not only by appealing to their heads––but to their hearts.?

As charismatic as King was, his inspirational capacity did not come from elevating himself above us. His message still resonates because of his humility––his ability to walk among us. He led by example. He was the living embodiment of the ideal of walking the walk.?

That’s what struck me most as I studied more about King and his leadership. One display at The King Center continues to inspire me to this day. It’s a simple collection of what he would bring when called to march––particularly when he anticipated he would likely be arrested and locked up.

His kit consisted of a denim jacket and shirt with a well-worn set of work boots. Other than that we carried his personals and a few books that particularly inspired and comforted him.

What moved me about this display is that I might have worn the same thing when I went to work in the shipyard, or at any number of construction jobs I had. It is all ordinary––plain.?

The point is that leadership is not about glamour. It’s not about the spotlights or the media or fame or fortune. It’s about seeing what needs to be done and doing it––especially when it means pulling on your boots, getting in the trenches, and actually walking the walk with the rest of the people doing the walking.?

I catch myself too often saying, “You don’t need to be Martin Luther King to inspire others.” I’ll correct myself. Why can’t you be Martin Luther King? Why can’t you tie your boots and start marching?

There are many lessons I take from Dr. King’s leadership. This year I want to focus on what I feel may be the most important, and what I’m certain is the most practical. Leadership, as I just said, is about doing what needs to be done, especially when it’s difficult. And the most powerful thing you can do to inspire others is to simply lead by example.?

That’s what Dr. King did––and that’s what each of us can do.?

Jim Bouchard is a leadership activist, speaker, and author of several books including "The Sensei Leader" and "IEG-Three Essential Leadership Disciplines." Learn more about Jim and The Sensei Leader Movement at TheSenseiLeader.com .