It’s guest post Monday! This post was written by Drew Tewell who is the author of the book, The Dream Job Program: Get the job you want. You can purchase it on Amazon or get it for free when you subscribe to his blog. You can also connect with Drew on Twitter and Facebook. If you would like to have a post featured on my site then click here.
Wow, what a powerful speech! If you have the time, I encourage you to watch the video, even if you have seen it before.
Today is Martin Luther King Day. Every year, on the third Monday in January, we remember his life and leadership.
In my post today I want to share three takeaways from Dr. King’s speech in the video above.
1. A leader has followers.
When you watch this video, one of the things that you may notice is the multitudes of people. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had people who followed his leadership.
As John Maxwell says, “He that thinketh he leadeth and hath no one following him is only taking a walk.”
No followers equal no leader. You can call yourself a leader all you want, but by definition, if you are truly a leader, you will have followers.
How does a leader get followers? Simple, by having a compelling vision.
2. A leader has vision.
In the case of Dr. King, people followed him, sometimes to what they knew could include being hurt physically, time in jail, and even worse. Why did so many people follow him? Because he had a compelling vision that they bought into.
One of the fundamental functions of leadership is to provide direction. This is true whether you are leading a company, a movement or just yourself.
3. A leader has passion.
As Dr. King gives his speech, you can see and hear his passion. And that passion is transferred to the listener.
A byproduct of a compelling vision is passion. When you have something that you strongly believe in, your enthusiasm will be contagious.
Putting It In To Practice
So, what does this post mean to you, practically speaking.
1. If you are a leader, you will have followers.
Leaders have followers. It is as simple as that.
2. As a leader, you will gain followers by communicating a compelling vision.
Do you have a role or responsibility in your life where you influence others? Do you have a blog or are you an author or an aspiring author?
If so, and you want the people under your leadership to follow you and/or you would like to have more followers, make sure that you have a vision that the people you want to influence will buy into.
3. When you have a compelling vision, it will produce passion in you the leader, which will transfer to others.
If you lack energy and enthusiasm, revisit your vision. If it does not spark something on the inside of you, considering changing it.
Question: What other lessons can we learn from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr?
