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Martin Luther King, Jr. on Leadership
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Martin Luther King, Jr. on Leadership

Inspiration and Wisdom for Challenging Times

Donald T. Phillips
Warner Books, 2000
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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Background
  • Eloquent
  • Inspiring

Recommendation

Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech was voted the most electrifying public address of the 20th century. It takes a special leader to give that kind of speech. In an overview of the history of the civil rights struggle, Donald T. Phillips presents the ideals of leadership that Martin Luther King Jr. followed. Phillips describes the techniques King used at various stages of the civil rights battle. He also shares King’s comments on leadership. Many of the principles will be quite familiar: listen to learn, lead by being led, awaken direct action, encourage creativity and involve the people. However, the book is fascinating when it demonstrates how King put these principles into practice. This well-organized, well-written book is clear, direct and easy to read. While it is written for the general public (especially for black people and those interested in civil rights), getAbstract finds this book applicable for all managers and executives, particularly those who like to learn the lessons of history.

Summary

Birth of a Leader

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s leadership continues to inspire the United States’ civil rights movement, which is still building on his legacy. The movement developed as a reaction to centuries of slavery. After prolonged argument, the U.S. Founding Fathers chose not to address slavery when they signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776. By 1820, “the peculiar institution” was largely confined to the South. The federal government officially abolished slavery after the Civil War, but racial discrimination continued. Segregationists developed separate schools and other facilities for whites and blacks, and discouraged blacks from voting. Vigilante groups such as the Ku Klux Klan terrorized and killed blacks who attempted to show any leadership.

Two key events in the 1950s triggered the civil rights movement in the United States, and spurred King’s involvement. In 1954, the Supreme Court issued the Brown v. Board of Education decision, affirming that “separate but equal” had no place in education. And in 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery, Alabama, bus, setting off the famous Montgomery bus boycott...

About the Author

Donald T. Phillips, a widely recognized writer and speaker in the field of leadership, draws upon the lessons of history for the strategies of today. His previous books include Lincoln on Leadership and The Founding Fathers on Leadership.

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