- He is born in 1929, Atlanta, Georgia.
- In 1934 the young boy has his first experience with racial discrimination, when he is refused to play with the white children by their parents.
- In 1953 at 24 years he marries a woman of uncommon intellect and artistic gifts. He is a graduate from Boston University School of theology. He receives his doctorate in systematic theology.
- 1956, his house is bombed. He is instrumental in forming the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. He is responsible for creating a group to fight against segregation.
- In 1958 he is nearly killed by a female assailant who stabs him in the chest.
You must be wondering how this story is linked to employee motivation…
- In 1959 he travels to India to study the philosophy of Mohandas Gandhi. He lives in his ashram and then returns to the US with a better understanding of Gandhi’s philosophy of radical change through non violence.
- In 1963 he organizes protests and marches to bring basic human rights to African Americans.
- In 1963 he makes a historic speech – “I Have a Dream” speech.
- In 1964 he wins the noble prize.
- In 1968 he addresses a joyous crowd of supporters, the next morning he is assassinated on a motel balcony.
Whom are we talking about?
We are talking about inspired leadership. We are talking about a Civil Right Activist – “Free at last, Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last.”
We are talking about the faith of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
He saw an opportunity to transform a society from repression to one defined by liberty and justice for all. If you ever wonder about the source of his inspiration, try to watch the film on the speech he gave. His speech has riveted generations of listeners. Half way in the speech, king leaves his scripted speech and goes into an improvisation that is one of the greatest moments in oratorical history. It’s the power of his sheer magic. With his words he carried the crowd with him to the mountain top so that each could see what he had seen.
Employee motivation is linked to inspiration – such heroes inspire and motivate us with their vision
They make us see what we cannot see. They become leaders by dreaming things other people are afraid to dream.
Another tool for employee motivation – narrate such inspiring stories to your employees
Who knows when a word or a thought may trigger a change of attitude or a change in behavior? Leaders are great teachers, only if we are prepared to learn.
Employee motivation is linked to leaders who inspire us by their actions
Employees are more motivated and are loyal and supportive with inspired leadership. In nearly every business there are occasions when the manager must defend his or her people form criticism or attack by others. It is on those occasions that leadership replaces management. The leaders will defend his or her own people and will take full responsibility for the criticism. Such inspirational stories about great leaders of the world help us. Every time I read about such great figures, I am humbled and start reflecting on my employee motivation techniques…
Take away point on Employee Motivation: A leader becomes a leader with a vision. Show them what they cannot see and then inspire them with your actions.
