Love and Leadership

In a 1967 speech to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference that echoed his final published work, Martin Luther King Jr. asked "where do we go from here?" It was on the heels of what many would consider seminal victories in the civil rights movement, and yet, Dr. King recognized the work was far from over. He spoke passionately about the steps needed to dissolve the forces buttressing the systemic oppression of black men and women in this country. It’s been 50+ years, and at least for me, there is a new appreciation for the vast work still ahead. This month, and this year, we face another "where do we go from here" moment, and I am reminded of the depth of wisdom from that speech. It touches an even wider audience than ever. Dr. King’s words continue to serve as a timely reminder that power and love need not be thought of as opposing forces. 

Power is a Privilege

It is said that with great power comes great responsibility. Power emboldens people, teams, organizations, communities, and even nations. Power enables us to achieve our goals and ambitions. But as Dr. King said, power, without love, is reckless and abusive. Love is the universal force that draws us to connect, to unite. Without love, power can create division, it can breed dissent, and it can thwart human progress.  Polarization in our society destroys our communities – and the pain of watching our disconnection violently play out across this country has been nothing short of devastating. As America prepares for the formal transfer of power this week, we have an opportunity to recommit to one another. Each of us is called upon to summon our best selves, to engage with open hearts and open minds and to restore our human connection.         

"Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love."

Never Satisfied

Dr. King spoke of a "divine dissatisfaction" as the energy from which we should draw upon to fuel our transition from chaos to community. As leaders in our organizations and communities, we must continue to challenge ourselves to explore the difficult questions. Hosting conscious and courageous conversations in our teams that are intended to inform and affirm one another is critical to building for our future together. Celebrating the “opportunity to participate in the beauty of diversity” is a key to fortifying the fabric of our multi-cultural society. Disagreement is central to progress. Ours is not a society where a single set of beliefs is merely poured into a mold yielding a desired shape. Our democratic principles and practices allow us to co-exist as “conservative” and “liberal” and to forge a stronger Democracy through a dignified and respectful exploration of our differences.  

So, what is it that needs to happen so we can begin to heal this divide in our society? It is time for those of us who have been afforded the advantage of power to act. As Dr. King said in 1963, “Nonviolent soldiers are called upon to examine and burnish their greatest weapons – their heart, their conscience, their courage and their sense of justice.” Together, professional communities must make active efforts to pick up the mantle of the unrepresented to adopt diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in our organizations. We must actively work together to eradicate the systems and practices that enable the structural inequality that mutes important contributions from every corner of the conversation. 

On this, the eve of the inauguration we have an opportunity to “inject a new dimension of love into the veins of our civilization” – and a connected community is the most powerful force we can call upon to deliver the change we seek.

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