The Uncomfortable Truth that Made Martin Luther King a Great Leader

In a March 1968 address at the National Cathedral, Martin Luther King, Jr. shared a quote that has become a standard bearer for leaders and mavericks of all kinds: “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus” (King, 1968).

The principle is that leadership is not a matter of adhering to the popular opinion of the day but rather knowing what is the right direction and directing his or her followers toward that end goal (Oswald, 2014). It is not about doing what everyone else thinks you should do, but convincing others of the right way of doing something and leading the way.

In the context, King’s line is most likely his way of convincing his followers that it is okay to defy the norms of the day, especially that of segregation and Jim Crow. There were many in the country at the time who questioned Jim Crow, but were afraid of causing too much trouble for fear of being rejected or shunned (Oswald, 2014). But King maintained that what is legal is not always right, and what is right is not always legal (King, 1963). To do what is right will sometimes require going against the grain of popular opinion and even sometimes the authority of the law.

This was a difficult argument to make considering the comfort of the status quo. As Robbins and Judge (2017) point out, there are deep-seated psychological reasons why persons would gravitate toward the consensus. This is especially difficult considering the modern conception of leader is inextricably tied with liberal democracy, where the consent (not to say consensus) or the governed. Politicians must answer to their constituents, their voters, and their donors to make good at all. Likewise, business leaders must answer to their employees, the board of directors, and the shareholders.

But, King realized that there are causes that are worth the strife that might be caused by going against the consensus. Ultimately, King made the argument that a leader not only must strive to do what is right despite popular opinion, but that it is a leader’s job to mold that popular opinion to what is right. And, inasmuch as the leader knows what is right and is bold enough to defend it, this is exactly what a leader should be—a molder of consensus.

References

King, M. L., (1968). Martin Luther King Jr. quote. Retrieved from https://www.askideas.com/a-genuine-leader-is-not-a-searcher-for-consensus-but-a-molder-of-consensus/

King, M. L., (1963). Letter from a Birmingham jail. Retrieved from https://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/documents/Letter_Birmingham_Jail.pdf

Oswald, D. (2014). Lessons on life and leadership from Martin Luther King Jr. Retrieved from https://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/2014/01/20/lessons-on-life-and-leadership-from-martin-luther-king-jr/

Robbins, S.P., Judge, T.A. (2017). Organizational behavior, 17e. Harlow: Pearson Education.