Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - A Leadership Icon
Annise Hawkins
Strayer University PAD 515 Dr. Lisa Saye July 30, 2011 What comes to mind when you hear the terms courage, leadership courage, moral leadership and servant leadership? Do you think of an influential person (s) you know? Or do you think in terms of qualities that leaders need to possess in order to be effective? In order to answer those questions, one must understand the definitions of those terms. Courage is “the ability to step forward through fear. Courage doesn’t mean the absence of doubt or fear, but the ability to act in spite of them” (DAFT 2011, p. 181). Leadership courage requires a leader to “reach deep within themselves to find the strength and courage to resist temptations or to stand up for moral principles when others may ridicule them or when they may suffer financially or emotionally for their actions” (DAFT 2011, p. 180. Moral courage is about “distinguishing right from wrong and doing right, seeking the just, the honest, the good, and the right conduct in achieving goals and fulfilling purpose” (DAFT 2011, p. 172). Finally, servant leadership is when “leaders give up control and make a choice to serve employees” (DAFT 2011, p. 175).

When I think of these terms, I immediately think of a prominent leader who possessed all these qualities, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He was truly a leader in his time. According to Webster’s Dictionary, a leader is “one who leads.” There is no doubt that Dr. King was a “Great Leader.” Karethy Edwards in her editorial, “Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.” agrees with me, she states, “When I think of leadership, I always think about Dr. Martin Luther King. He inspired us to dream, challenged us to act, loved us and encouraged our hearts. If Dr. King had not answered his call to leadership and