Why Choose Selfless Leadership?

By the time of his untimely and shocking death at the age of 39, Dr Martin Luther King Jr had been arrested on 29 separate occasions. Of the many fabrications that were contrived for his incarceration, perhaps the most ridiculous was for travelling less than 5 mph above a local speed limit. Following an assignation attempt on his life in 1967 He completely forgave Izola Ware Curry, the perpetrator, who came within 1/8 of an inch of costing him his life. By the time of his death, the stress of his desire for racial quality and the continued persecution he had endured in its deliverance had taken a huge toll. Yet he managed that load with exceptional humility and perseverance.

On receipt of the noble peace prize in 1964 and his decision to donate the entire contents of his prize money to the civil rights movement. His “why” was laid bare he explained,

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others......I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”

On his incarnation at Robben Island Nelson Mandela was welcomed by the governor of the despised former leper colony. He was advised “welcome to the island where you will die.” He survived that governor and a number of others in his 18 years of detention on the brutal island. On six occasions in his total 27 years of imprisonment he was offered release with conditions attached, and on six occasions he refused. He outlined why he had refused conditional freedom by stating,

“to live freely is not merely to cast off one's chains, but has to come in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” 

When Vince Lombardi was asked to reflect on his own contribution to the remarkable transformation of the Green Bay Packers in the 1960’s from the worst team in American Football to the first super bowl champions in a remarkable turnaround he observed,

“They call it coaching, but it is teaching. You do not just tell them it is so, but you show the reasons why it is so and you repeat and repeat until the players are convinced, until they know.”

One of the greatest questions that any leader should continuously calibrate themselves against is “why am I doing this?” In a fast paced world of fluidity and pressure for achievements then it is very easy to lose or drift from your most fundamental and important principles.

For me the spirit of leadership should and must be preserved and is encapsulated in the examples above. To be self serving or to serve the needs and inspire the actions of others? This is the greatest single differentiator of the “why.” And is a question that will you much about your effectiveness as a leader.

 If your in the former camp and your motivations lie within your own self interests, then your career in leadership cannot be sustained beyond short term cycles of disruption as you oscillate between self indulgence and manipulation.

If your underlying “why” sits in the latter view of servant leadership then you truly understand the huge pains and unbridled joy that leadership can bring. The greatest understand they have no purpose outside of their ability to serve the needs and inspire the actions of others. Without the mobilisation and emotional authority of others they have no entity or reason to operate.

The great power of such an approach for a leader is it becomes self inspiring. Because the greatest sense of satisfaction we can experience is seeing others achieve and succeed. We indeed truly rise by lifting others and the goals and dreams we have become a manifestation of the actions and behaviours of those around us. The spirit of a leader can never be undiminished when they operate with a servants heart, in pursuit of something they have an absolute passion and belief in.

As the actions and examples at the start show the greatest of challenges and obstacles can be overcome if we place others and their needs at the heart of of our approach and ambitions. It provides the most powerful of all motivations to exist and achieve.

Always lead for others first and foremost- and check yourself everyday. For, we have a responsibility that often lies beyond our comprehension. 

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