Three Great Leaders

It is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and it's also Inauguration Day for Barack Obama.  Not long ago, I saw the movie, "Lincoln."  What a convergence of three great leaders to contemplate.

I don't mean for this to be a political statement, so I send particular apologies to my Republican friends who may not agree with my belief that Obama is a great leader.  I guess only time will tell.

One thing I like about all three of them is their ability to inspire with their words.  I reread Martin Luther King Jr.'s, "I Have a Dream" speech, which was reprinted in our local paper this week.  Not only are his words inspiring to read, but they are even better spoken.  I've seen video of him giving this particular speech enough times now that I can still hear is voice in my head.  It is inspiring and appeals to our common humanity and belief that we can rise above our conflicts and be better people.  We'll never be perfect, but we can always strive to be better.   Have we arrived at this place he described yet?

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

I found Obama's inauguration speech to be similarly compelling today.  Here is a segment that harkens back to Martin Luther King Jr. and other important events:

"We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths – that all of us are created equal – is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth."

 And finally, I encourage you to see the movie Lincoln if you have not yet done so.   And take a minute to reread the Gettysburg Address.  It is so short, and yet it has had such a lasting impact.  Here are the final words:

"It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

 Let those of us who aspire to lead continue to think about how our words, both written and verbal, can inspire and move us forward.

Fostering Shared Leadership

Recently I took one of those inventories where you answer a set of questions about yourself, and then you get an analysis of your personal characteristics.  I am still processing the results I got, because I'm not totally comfortable with them.  Here's one result I feel conflicted about, "She likes to have control of most situations and can speak out clearly and forcibly when she sees the need to do so."

While I like the idea of being a strong leader, I don't much like the idea that I have to be in control of most situations.  This conflicts with my belief that a solution is best when it is the result of broad and thoughtful input from a diverse set of sources.  This is why I believe in the importance of leadership coming from all levels of an organization.

The article, "Leading from Every Chair," by Roger Schwarz brings out the importance of leadership at all levels.  For those who report to me, I encourage you to take that leadership role and stand up to me if I'm too controlling.  For my part, I promise to keep working on listening and learning from you all.