Eight leadership lessons from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Here are two favorites:
3. Great leaders refuse to accept the status quo. In fact, I would say that this is the defining characteristic of real leaders. They are not passive; they are active. They are unwilling to acquiesce to their circumstances.
This calls to mind another famous quote by C. P. Fulford Jr: “If you are coasting, it means you’re going downhill.”
5. Great leaders call people to act in accord with their highest values. It would be easy for the civil rights movement to change tactics and resort to violence. Some did. However, like Nelson Mandela did when he became president of South Africa, Dr. King called his people to a higher standard.
Indeed. A lousy Commander says, “we need to do X or we could get in trouble.” An excellent Commander says, “we ought to do X because it’s the right thing to do.”
Serve in the Light of Truth 