A good day to reflect on our own leadership

This Martin Luther King Day is an opportune time to reflect on our own leadership and what good leadership looks like as we traverse the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.

It’s fifteen years since I made my trip to MLK’s childhood home in Atlanta, GA. I still remember the excitement I felt as I rode the bus that morning. Like many others, Dr Martin Luther King Jnr, has played an important part in my life, especially in those bumpy teenage years when we all began to search for our own unique selves.

Today as we grapple with COVID-19, some leadership qualities stand out as essential; resilience, results-focused, and bold. Dr Martin Luther King Jnr's leadership modeled this and so much more. His leadership also demonstrated vision, clarity of purpose, love, compassion, and hope. In times of crisis, these qualities lift leadership from just good to great. And we all have the potential to become great leaders, in our families, in our communities, and in our workplaces, because we can all serve. As Dr Martin Luther King Jnr, himself said, "Everybody can be great. Anybody can serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."

Writing in the Huffington Post back in 2010, James Perry, a former New Orleans mayoral candidate, eloquently expressed the leadership lessons we can all take from Dr Martin Luther King Jnr’s example of servant leadership :

“A servant leader is one who offers an inclusive vision; listens carefully to others; persuades through reason; and heals divisions while building community."

It is easy to spot servant leaders. In a room where others are jockeying for attention, they are the ones listening to someone others might consider unimportant. When faced with a problem, they look for solutions that benefit everyone. When something goes wrong, they take the blame. When things go well, they share the credit. They tell everyone the same story, even when it is inconvenient or difficult. They know that they don’t have all the answers, so they seek advice from others. They work hard and inspire others to do the same.

Martin Luther King, Jr. is an example of a servant leader. His life shows the extraordinary power of servant leadership to radically transform a nation.”

So on this Martin Luther King Day, I have two questions for you.

Who are your own role models when it comes to great leadership?

What are you, as a leader, role modelling for others? 

And the question Dr Martin Luther King Junior cites as life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’

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