A Lesson From a Couple Kings On Selfish Ambition
“If you do say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. A drum major for peace. A drum major for righteousness.” - Dr. Martin Luther King
On April 4, 1967, two months to the day before the shooting that took his life, Dr. Martin Luther King gave his famous "Drum Major Instinct" Sermon in Ebenezer Baptist Church, right here in Atlanta GA. The sermon is based on the idea that ambition, maybe even selfish ambition, is not a problem alone. Only when used for the wrong purpose does it become a problem.
In a marching band, the drum major is the person out in front, leading the charge. They are the center of attention and the one leading the show. Dr. King points out that all of us have the desire, in some way to be a "Drum Major" in certain areas of our lives. He points to a story from Mark 10: 35-45, when James and John approach Jesus, and request to sit at His right and left hand in heaven. Jesus doesn't turn around and bash them for their ambitious thoughts though. In fact, you could argue that Jesus feeds into that selfish ambition by mapping out how to get ahead in his new world order.
“You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”(Mark 10:42-45)
If Jesus would have said this today, He would ended it, #servantleadership. About a month ago, our church preached a message on this sermon of King's, and I am so glad they did. It has reminded me, as I continue to build on my own personal career and that I do not need to feel bad for having an ambition to get ahead. However, if my ultimate goal is to get ahead, I am to serve those that "the world" might have me believe are supposed to serve me. I am to help them get what they ultimately desire, and in doing so, I will get where I ultimately wish to go.
Today as we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, let us remember this great lesson he shined his spotlight on just a few months shy of 50 years ago. Servant leadership is the way to the top. There is nothing wrong with a desire to make it to the top. Good for you if you want to get there. But how you get there is the important piece. Treat those around you with respect and dignity. Serve them, and you too will get to where you ultimately wish to go.
Keep Climbing!
John
Click Here to listen to this powerful message from Dr King.
About the author:
My name is John Constantine and I am a sales and marketing executive living in suburban Atlanta. Throughout my career, I have been able to drive growth repeatedly in a variety of capacities. As a sales leader, I have built, expanded, and improved high performing teams to promote expansion and profitability. As a marketing executive, I have led teams in the creation and launching of new brands and products. I have managed inbound lead generation campaigns and created online and print branding standards that stand out from the pack and engage employees to take pride in their organization. As an executive of strategic initiatives and a field operations leader, I have implemented programs and processes that have differentiated my organizations and provided predictable revenue forecasting to the C-suite; all the while increasing productivity and accountability of the front-line team members in the organization.
To learn more, go to http://www.johnaconstantine.com/