Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Talk about a Professional Edge!

In looking to succeed in the future one must remember examples of greatness in the past. Many of today's young Black professionals are so caught up in the daily battles for opportunity, respect and significance they often forget that they are not the first generation of African Americans to face great challenges...and succeed.

Through the book Martin Luther King on Leadership (one of my personal favorites), written by Donald Phillips http://www.amazon.com/Martin-Luther-King-Jr-Leadership/dp/0446523674, Dr. King shares his personal and professional strategies for success with a new generation of Black leaders.

"Let nobody fool you, all the loud noises we hear today are nothing but the death groans of a dying system. The old order is passing away, the new order is coming into being. But whenever there is anything new there are new responsibilities. As we think of this coming new world we must think of the challenge that we confront and the new responsibilities that stand before us. We must prepare to live in a new world."

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

August 11, 1956

Some excellent words to today's young leaders include:

"Your job is too great and the days are too bright to be bickering in the darkness over jealously, deadening competition, and internal ego struggles"

"Seek to transform your suffering into a creative force"

"A refusal to be stopped, the courage to be, the determination to go on in spite of, is the hallmark of great movements"

"Whenever you set out to build a temple, you must face the fact that there is a tension at the heart of the universe between good and evil"

"A firm sense of self-esteem is the most powerful weapon against slander and vilification"

"Tie your vision to the human desire for a better tomorrow"

"If you can't stop for an average person in your organization, then you don't need to pursue your lofty goals"

"The road map for your movement may change, but your final destination should remain the same"

"Your organization will prosper or die as a result of your ability to create, embody, and communicate a vision"

Let us know what you think

Kim R. Wells

kwells@howard.edu