The Drum Major

As we celebrate the life and legacy of a great leader, I am reminded of the first time I heard the sermon “The Drum Major Instinct” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is well known for his “I have a dream” speech. One my favorite sermons however is the Drum Major Instinct. I recall sitting in my car on the campus of FAMU getting ready to head to class. On the radio I heard Dr. King’s voice, but it something I had never heard before. I heard these words, “We all want to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction, to lead the parade. Alfred Adler, the great psychoanalyst, contends that this is the dominant impulse. Sigmund Freud used to contend that sex was the dominant impulse, and Adler came with a new argument saying that this quest for recognition, this desire for attention, this desire for distinction is the basic impulse, the basic drive of human life, this drum major instinct.” Being a psychology major, this stopped time for me. So, I stayed in the car and listened to the entire thing. I often go back and listen to it just to reconnect and reflect.

I want to call your attention to this sermon because it focuses on Servant Leadership. Prior to beginning my doctoral studies, I had seen servant leadership before but minimally. I had also seen Transformational leadership. But when I thought about leadership the first name came to my mind was John C. Maxwell. This thought of leadership came from a research and organizational framework and purpose. Not necessarily church or social leadership. My initial thought was, how do I lead others in the work place. I have had trying and ineffective leaders in my short life.

Servant leadership has often been paired with Christian leadership and paradigms, but the difference between servant leadership and other leadership types is the motivation which influences decisions (Gandolfi & Stone, 2018).  Servant leaders focus on the needs of followers first as opposed to organizational goals and mission. These leaders empower others to achieve goals and embody mission statements. The biggest thing I would like to highlight about servant leadership is, servant leaders practice humility as well as discipline (Gandolfi & Stone, 2018).  These leaders empower, grow, develop others but most of all hold individuals accountable.

As we can see from this concept, we can see why Dr. King was so powerful, masterful and a great leader. I am not saying that there are not any other great leaders out there. What I am saying is I would like to honor this one for his servanthood. His belief that serving others supersedes our own personal endeavors. Remember that you will not always be at the mountain top. It is ok to be concerned about your neighbor’s wellbeing. Growing up in the city of Pahokee, our neighbors were family (literally and figurately).

The village came together to ensure all the children were safe and families had food. There were plenty of weeks my friend’s mom brought me and my mother meals from the City of Pahokee Parks and Recreation center. The church bought my mother and grandmother dinners as well. The village believed in serving. Do not get so caught up in yourself that you completely forget about others. Money can not always be the driving force and motivation. You have other things to offer beside money that people can benefit from. Use your gifts and talents to serve others.

I will leave you with this paraphrase from Dr. King as it pertains to my life and hopefully yours. When my day comes, because it most certainly will. Ensure my funeral is short but the message is strong and powerful. Do not mention what I have acquired materially through the years. Mention that I lived a life of purpose. I lived a life that empowered. I lived a life of serving and leading others. I learned to love others as I loved myself. Serve someone, Love Someone!. Be diligent, discipline and intentional. Most of all show humility without being foolish. #DoBetter

Reference

Gandolfi, F., & Stone, S. (2018). Leadership, leadership styles, and servant leadership. Journal of Management Research (09725814), 18(4), 261–269. Retrieved from https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=132968632&site=eds-live&scope=site