MLK Inspires Our Power-to
Inspiration is balm for the soul and a powerful kick in the resolve to take action.
Last year, to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr on his birthday, I posted this call to share his quotes that have most inspired you. I hope you’ll go read them, for I know you’ll be inspired to use your “power to” to take action.
Upon rereading the quotes, I was struck by what King said about power: “I am not interested in power for power’s sake, but I’m interested in power that is moral, that is right and that is good.” In words far more eloquent than mine, King tells us to define power on our terms. To reject the oppressive power-over model; to use the power to, in order to do good.
As I mourn the effects of power over, carried to its logical extreme by Jared Loughner in Tucson a week ago, I am so grateful for King’s uplifting words. They remind me to celebrate Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ moral, right, and good use of her power to make life better for her constituents, her state, and the nation.
INTENTIONING
Sex, Power, Pandemics, and How Women
Will Take The Lead for (Everyone’s) Good
The new book from Gloria Feldt about the future, taking the leadership lessons learned from this disruption and creating a better world for all through the power of intention.
And I am inspired all over again.
What MLK quote most inspires you to use your power to? Please share it here to honor Dr. King’s birthday.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
GLORIA FELDT is the New York Times bestselling author of several books including No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power, a sought-after speaker and frequent contributor to major news outlets, and the Co-Founder and President of Take The Lead. People has called her “the voice of experience,” and among the many honors she has been given, Vanity Fair called her one of America’s “Top 200 Women Legends, Leaders, and Trailblazers,” and Glamour chose her as a “Woman of the Year.”
As co-founder and president of Take The Lead, a leading women’s leadership nonprofit, her mission is to achieve gender parity by 2025 through innovative training programs, workshops, a groundbreaking 50 Women Can Change The World immersive, online courses, a free weekly newsletter, and events including a monthly Virtual Happy Hour program and a Take The Lead Day symposium that reached over 400,000 women globally in 2017.
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[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Michele Hush, Barbara H Grufferman and others. Barbara H Grufferman said: RT @GloriaFeldt: MLK inspires our Power to: Today's blogpost: https://gloriafeldt.com2011/01/17/mlk-inspires-our-power-to/ He made… ht … […]
Gloria,
MLK’s power came from his fierce passion as well as his ability to articulate that passion in such a compelling way. We, as women, can become more powerful when we connect with our passion; with our talent and value. Communicating this to others is vital to establishing our power-to.
Yes, Bonnie, the combination of passion and communication skills equals the power to for women. Do you think we are more advanced in the passion or in the communications part of the formulation? Can you suggest two or three communications tips women might use to be more successful in using their power to make things happen?