Post by Kelly Washburn on Mar 4, 2016 11:54:09 GMT
I researched a lot of different leaders but I kept going back to the same person time and time again. That person was Martin Luther King Jr. Cliché? Maybe, but the question that I asked myself while reading and doing my research was “why were they a good leader?” What did he/she do and why does that resonate for me? There are a lot of amazing leaders that have walked our earth both past and present but Martin Luther King Jr. stands out for me the most. He empowered people to act upon their own beliefs and stood up for those who didn’t. He led a social movement of equality during a very difficult time with much opposition and when he wasn’t supported by most. He had a vision and was passionate about it and through his passion and actions he gave others hope and allowed them to see that vision as well.
I think it was the quote from Martin Luther King Jr. that I came across in my research that particularly resonated with me. The quote was “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy” That particular quote resonated for me because as a leader those are the hardest and most challenging times and that’s when our communication and leadership skills are put to the test. His actions backed his vision and he shook up the popular culture at a time of challenge. I think is so important and something that myself as a leader try to make sure I do (ensure my actions back my vision.) As a leader you always worry about how staff will react to change and I try very hard to make sure that I communicate the whys and how’s to that change to get the buy in. I always wonder how effective I am at doing it or if I can do it differently or better. Martin Luther King Jr. was great at this.
In doing research MLK was described as having a Transformational leadership style. This is described as the type of person who shows people their visions and why they are passionate about specific things. People follow them because their passions are so honest. This type of leader never asks to be followed; people follow them because their mission is so wonderful. Transformational leaders inspire people through their message which is something I hope to be able to do with Fedcap’s mission and as I mentioned earlier I always wonder if I am doing it effectively.
With the work we do and the potential positive impact we can have on people’s lives I want to strive to be this type of leader. Through the various readings what I learned is it’s all about effective communication, establishing trust and making a connection with people. In thinking about what aspects of MLK’s style I want to try to employ would be asking myself “are my actions matching my vision?” There is so much that we do each and every day and a great deal of pressure to succeed and perform that sometimes I think our actions may not always align with the vision and it’s important to have this in check and be self-aware.
I think it was the quote from Martin Luther King Jr. that I came across in my research that particularly resonated with me. The quote was “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy” That particular quote resonated for me because as a leader those are the hardest and most challenging times and that’s when our communication and leadership skills are put to the test. His actions backed his vision and he shook up the popular culture at a time of challenge. I think is so important and something that myself as a leader try to make sure I do (ensure my actions back my vision.) As a leader you always worry about how staff will react to change and I try very hard to make sure that I communicate the whys and how’s to that change to get the buy in. I always wonder how effective I am at doing it or if I can do it differently or better. Martin Luther King Jr. was great at this.
In doing research MLK was described as having a Transformational leadership style. This is described as the type of person who shows people their visions and why they are passionate about specific things. People follow them because their passions are so honest. This type of leader never asks to be followed; people follow them because their mission is so wonderful. Transformational leaders inspire people through their message which is something I hope to be able to do with Fedcap’s mission and as I mentioned earlier I always wonder if I am doing it effectively.
With the work we do and the potential positive impact we can have on people’s lives I want to strive to be this type of leader. Through the various readings what I learned is it’s all about effective communication, establishing trust and making a connection with people. In thinking about what aspects of MLK’s style I want to try to employ would be asking myself “are my actions matching my vision?” There is so much that we do each and every day and a great deal of pressure to succeed and perform that sometimes I think our actions may not always align with the vision and it’s important to have this in check and be self-aware.