By Clive Siachiyako
FIFTY years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s death, the world is still honouring the visionary leader who is inspiring many lives forever. The larger-than-life leadership lessons that Dr. King gave the world are as important for entrepreneurs today as they were during his life.
Dr. King was a visionary. He was a man who had a dream bigger than the times in which he lived. That is, after all, what real visionary leaders are all about. His "I have a Dream" speech brought awareness and humanity to the national consciousness about civil rights. He led a social movement of equality during a time when he was not supported by many. In fact, he was threatened and despised by many. But he stayed committed to the vision he held.
Are you bringing that kind of total commitment to your cause? Not to say get arrested, but are you bringing that level of intensity and dedication to your work? Dr. King’s actions were backed his vision and he shook up the popular culture of the time.
Sometimes doing things completely different is what is necessary for evolution and innovation. These paradigm shifts are crucial in every aspect of social, cultural and technological change. The same way of thinking always wields the same results. Dr. King never accepted that just because things were a certain way, it made them the right way.
How can you shake up the status quo in your industry? How about in your corporate culture or business values? Be a leader and set the new standard by changing an outdated status quo in your life. How can Dr. King help you become a better entrepreneur? Here are seven simple entrepreneurship lessons from Dr. Martin Luther King:
1. Dream big.
Dr. King is best known for his "I have a dream" at the March on Washington in 1963. A great entrepreneur always dreams big, and shares their vision with employees, investors, customers, prospects and the world. You have to have a dream- and a big one which takes the huge entrepreneurial chance.
Dr. King was a visionary. He was a man who had a dream bigger than the times in which he lived. That is, after all, what real visionary leaders are all about. His "I have a Dream" speech brought awareness and humanity to the national consciousness about civil rights. He led a social movement of equality during a time when he was not supported by many. In fact, he was threatened and despised by many. But he stayed committed to the vision he held.
Are you bringing that kind of total commitment to your cause? Not to say get arrested, but are you bringing that level of intensity and dedication to your work? Dr. King’s actions were backed his vision and he shook up the popular culture of the time.
Sometimes doing things completely different is what is necessary for evolution and innovation. These paradigm shifts are crucial in every aspect of social, cultural and technological change. The same way of thinking always wields the same results. Dr. King never accepted that just because things were a certain way, it made them the right way.
How can you shake up the status quo in your industry? How about in your corporate culture or business values? Be a leader and set the new standard by changing an outdated status quo in your life. How can Dr. King help you become a better entrepreneur? Here are seven simple entrepreneurship lessons from Dr. Martin Luther King:
1. Dream big.
Dr. King is best known for his "I have a dream" at the March on Washington in 1963. A great entrepreneur always dreams big, and shares their vision with employees, investors, customers, prospects and the world. You have to have a dream- and a big one which takes the huge entrepreneurial chance.
Make your dream reality. Of course, many people have dreams. Some even have great dreams. But most them do not work to make their dreams a reality as did Dr. King. Great ideas for new products, businesses, and works of science and art die every day with their inventors. To be an entrepreneur is to dream – but it is more in making the dream reality.
2. Persuade without power.
Using non-violent civil disobedience, Dr. King was able to persuade millions of Americans to join the civil rights movement and support his dream.
As an entrepreneur, you have to get a lot of people on your side: investors, customers, and most of all, employees. You can try to be powerful and aggressive; to be the "boss" in the traditional sense of the world. But this is increasingly ineffective. The best way to persuade people to get what you want is to be kind, passionate, supportive and grateful.
3. Give people something to believe in.
Dr. King was one of the best leaders in modern history in getting people to believe in his dream…to get people to embrace his vision and mission and support him unconditionally.
As an entrepreneur, you too can and must give people something to believe in. Make your core values, mission, strategy and strategic plan be known by everyone in the company. You can hang them up on the walls for all to see and embrace.
4. Embrace fear and be courageous anyway.
Dr. King was never shy about admitting his fears. He was afraid that his points wouldn't be well received. Moreover, he was worried about violence breaking out.
Many people, especially men, are taught from a young age, "Don’t be afraid." But the truth is, we all have fear, and that is alright. As Dr. King taught us, it is better to admit you have fear, and find a way to be courageous in spite of that fear.
As an entrepreneur, there are so many things to be afraid of e.g. running out of money, your product not working, a key employee leaving, bankruptcy, low clientele, etc. But if you embrace those fears, you will be better off. How can you embrace your fears?
You embrace your fear by recognising that it exists. After recognising it, confront your fears with courage and commitment. To assist with this endeavor, you must realise that the fear is derived from your minds. Before your body experiences the fear, your brain tells you what to fear and the possible reasons why you should fear it. Once you understand this, then you could use courage and commitment to counteract the fear so that you could get things done.
5. Get everyone involved.
Dr. King was able to build a real movement because he was able to get so many people involved…to truly “rally the troops,” because everyone felt like they were part of something bigger than them.
As an entrepreneur, you can involve everyone, and learn from everyone as well. Every employee, customer and prospect has something valuable to teach you, if you will only let them. Involve all of your employees in goal setting and strategy setting…you will never know where the next great idea will come from. How can you better get more people involved?
6. Create a sense of urgency.
Dr. King said in his "I have a dream" speech: “We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.”
Now is the time, for you as well. Now is the time for you to lead your team, and now is the time for you to build something of meaning, and now is the time for you to instill a sense of urgency in each and every person you speak with. Have passion for what you do and believe in, and you can create that sense of urgency.
7. Inspire people.
Dr. King was so inspiring to so many people, and we can only dream of being half as inspiring as he was. But as an entrepreneur, as a leader, your job is to inspire. Your job is to inspire your staff, your investors, and the world, about your mission and your products and services.
The world you dream of can inspire others to aim higher in life. It can give them the zeal to think big and have the resilience to rise again after a temporal defeat. Communicate your dream to others. Talk about it! Let others know what you dream about entrepreneurial self.
How effective could be your dream if you are not communicating it? Do you have a vision for your enterprise? Is it prominently displayed where your staff can easily see? And do you talk about how your actions, services, campaigns and products back up that vision?
REMEMBER, dreaming without doing is for childhood. Real leaders have big dreams, take big steps to communicate them, and then they go take big actions! Dr. King's actions made him one of the great leaders of the 20th century, Time Magazine's "Man of the Year" in 1963 and a Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1964. How do you plan to turn your dreaming into doing? Courtesy of INC.COM
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