Leadership Through Service

Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.

-Martin Luther King, Jr.


In today’s society, there exists an unfortunate misconception about the nature of leadership. So many have adopted the idea that leadership is simply a matter of position, a matter of “being in charge.” But if one were to look deeper, to critically consider the function of leadership and how that function has been realized in the past, it would become clear that there is more to a great leader than his or her title.

Consider Martin Luther King, Jr., a man who dedicated his life to changing a flawed society. He saw the plight of his fellow Americans, and his ardent efforts to achieve social change ultimately cost him his life. King’s life is a portrait of leadership not because he was a man lauded by many. On the contrary, his admiration followed the beginnings of his hard work. King’s claim to leadership is the result of commitment to serving his community and his nation.

As citizens of the world in which we live, the most fundamental of our responsibilities (and privileges I might add) is to devote ourselves to selfless action. We all have the power to identify the capacity for change within our communities and work towards improvement. For most, this does not mean action on the scale of what King accomplished. It could easily mean volunteering at the local homeless shelter. Or standing up for another student when he or she is being ridiculed. And like King says, “you don’t have to have a college degree to serve.” You only need to care about the world around you. Service is open to all. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the world absolutely needs more people who are passionate in service. And because service is accessible, leadership is too. Embrace this as an opportunity to be a leader.

Sincerely,

The Social Outreach Team


[Posted by Ujunwa Anakwenze]