A MAN OF ALL SEASONS: FIVE POWERFUL INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., would have been 93 years old this past weekend, on January 15, 2022.?However, he was shot to death for having a dream that America was not ready for.

Dr. King was assassinated for having a dream that many of us still have today even though the slow pace with which countries like Canada, the US, Europe and other parts of the world are embracing social justice is quite troubling.

A few years ago, I was invited to be a guest in an event hosted by his family and got to meet his daughter, Dr. Bernice King Jr., and his sister, Dr. Christine King Farris, who is now 94 years old.

I worshipped in the church he led, the Ebenezer Baptist Church and also visited the school he attended, Morehouse College, all in Atlanta.

What a great honour it was for me to have met and interacted with some of his friends and experience the greatness of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., firsthand through them all.

Like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I have always believed in a non-violent approach to anything, especially in the quest for social justice.

Like him,?I have always believed that leadership is about service to humanity and not just about achieving profitable growth for organizations.

You cannot study the concept of social justice and not mention Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?

You cannot study leadership, service to humanity, and the concepts of unity, togetherness, kindness, equity, inclusion and cohesiveness without citing a quotation by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Indeed, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a man of all seasons and we can all be.?Whether man, woman or non-binary, we can all be equipped and empowered to cope with any contingency and foster behaviour that is always appropriate to every occasion.

To learn more about inclusive leadership and how to eliminate colonial mentality from your corporate culture and create a workplace that is equitable and cohesive, register at www.canadiancongressondiversity.ca/events

FIVE POWERFUL INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES OF?MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

#1 – Leadership is a spiritual concept and therefore, any attempt to lead others without a set of moral values can quickly become a dictatorship. Leadership demands that you?love your neighbours as yourself, that you do unto others as you would like done unto you.

“Every man lives in two realms: the internal and the external. The internal is that realm of spiritual ends expressed in art, literature, morals, and religion. The external is that complex of devices, techniques, mechanisms, and instrumentalities by means of which we live.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

#2 – To lead and to love is the same thing. You cannot lead people without first loving them and to love is to lead. Unconditional love, therefore, true, wholehearted and unwavering love, is the foundation of inclusive leadership.

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

#3 – For leadership to be effective, those in positions of authority must be authentic. They must be real, true and just. They must be honourable, open and yet quite principled. You cannot lead people when you neither know yourself nor are yourself.

“You will change your mind; You will change your looks; You will change your smile, laugh, and ways but no matter what you change, you will always be you.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

#4 – Leadership and service are interchangeable, for leadership is about serving others. It is about giving all that you are and have for the advancement of humanity. As I wrote in my book, The Mystique of Leadership, “The most important aspect of leadership is to ignite the leadership spirit in other people.

“Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

#5 – Leadership is about using your power to empower others, about using your influence to pave the way for others. Holding a position of authority makes no one more important than others; but an expectation to make everyone just as important.

“We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

To learn more about inclusive leadership and how to eliminate colonial mentality from your corporate culture and create a workplace that is equitable and cohesive, register at www.canadiancongressondiversity.ca/events

On Thursday, Jan 20 and 21, 2022, the Canadian Congress on Inclusive Diversity & Workplace Equity will be bringing together thousands of delegates across Canada, the US, Europe, Asia and Africa?to launch a global campaign to advance the quest for social justice?in Organizations, Institutions and the Government.

Known for setting the tone, theme and topics in the areas of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion at the beginning of every year, the Canadian Congress, as it is popularly called, is a nationally recognized platform were highly profiled, deeply experienced, intellectually stimulating and spiritually therapeutic experts in community development and social justice advocacy leverage their diverse lived and corporate experiences and academic qualifications to eliminate the clues and cues of racism and discrimination.

This year, over 50 prolific speakers from the world of academia, science, history, business, community, government, leadership, youth, women, medicine and other fields will be equipping, educating and empowering thousands of people in many industries and sectors from Canada, the US and worldwide with strategic tips, tools and techniques to identify and dismantle colonial mentality, processes, culture and systems.

The Theme for 2022: Dismantling Colonialism, Building Cohesiveness.

Would you like to reserve group tickets for your organization?

Would you like to become one of the sponsors for this event, with about 1,500 people registered thus far?

Would you like to offer one of our 50+ speakers interviews on your mainstream or social media platforms?

If you consider our newsletter informative and inspiring, kindly share with others and consider joining us at the Canadian Congress or our School of Greatness to empower millions to advocate for diversity in life, leadership and business.

For more info, email [email protected].?