MLK and what separates the great leaders from the good ones
On Monday, many of us will be enjoying Martin Luther King, Jr Day and hopefully taking a moment to reflect on Dr. King’s activism and the importance of civil rights. It is also an occasion to think about how it was that MLK achieved as much as he did, establishing himself as the greatest leader of the civil rights movement among a cast of so many notable leaders such as John Lewis and Whitney Young.
Martin Luther King, Jr was the greatest orator of the 20th century
As public speaking expert Nick Morgan has noted, Martin Luther King, Jr was the greatest orator of the 20th century, and MLK’s dream speech was one of the greatest speeches ever given. It’s amazing that the last 6 minutes of MLK’s dream speech weren’t even scripted. He was that good at communicating, and you can learn from his example.
Communicating with impact is what makes great leaders
MLK is known throughout the world as a peacemaker and martyr for his work promoting nonviolence and racial equality. But there were many prominent leaders of the civil rights movement, and many leaders who died in the struggle for civil rights here in the US. Yet it is MLK who remains as the symbol of civil rights more than any other person even today, almost 50 years after his death.
Communicate one idea only, with emotion and clarity
The best communicators focus on one idea only when they give their speech or tell their story, and they prioritize connecting with emotion over logical structure.
Reduce down to only the most important idea if you want people to act
This is incredibly difficult to do. Limiting oneself to only one idea takes discipline. After all, you have a captive audience waiting to hear what you have to say. Don’t you want to get out every critical piece of information to them, sharing the incredible taxonomy you have constructed in your brain? No! In fact, the more messages you attempt to get across, the less likely they will be remembered or acted upon.
Connect to real and emotional meaning in what you have to say
Alongside getting to a single idea, deeper meaning is the key to communicating with impact. An article in Harvard Business Review explains it well:
Meaning is not a dropped coin we pick up by chance. It is more like fine pottery we craft. People have to create the meaning of their work and their lives, and that process requires skill and practice, not just luck. Those who succeed at creating meaning — either on their own or with the help of their boss — tend to work harder, more creatively, and with more tenacity, giving the companies that employ them a leg up in the marketplace. What’s more, study after study suggests that when employees experience meaning, their employers enjoy higher rates of customer commitment and investor interest.
Think about how you can bring more simplicity and meaning to your communications
Martin Luther King, Jr was the most important voice of the American civil rights movement, never tiring of fighting segregation laws and working endlessly to make people realize that “all men are created equal”. He was incredibly successful doing this until he died and even afterward. He was a great leader fighting for perhaps the greatest cause of all.
When you take a moment on Dr. King’s birthday to think about civil rights and their relevance to this day, consider also your own role as a leader and how you can learn from MLK to become a great one. Look at what you feel is important to communicate to your organization and ruthlessly cut it down until you get to only the single most essential idea. Take advantage of the power that comes with messaging just that single idea. Look inward and clarify for yourself how that idea has meaning for you. Then build on that foundation to explore the meaning it has for your employees and your customers. Write it down. Share it with emotion and clarity. Get your best ideas the impact they deserve and make a real difference for the people in your life.
