1: Today, we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., perhaps the most influential American of the 20th century.

And yet, the greatest American civil rights leader was at first an unwilling one.

In September 1954, Martin was 25 years old. He had just completed studying for his doctorate at Boston University. He and his wife, Coretta, moved to Montgomery, Alabama to realize his career goal of becoming a … continue reading

1: Don’t just stand there.  Do something.

Really?  Not always, Ryan Holiday writes in The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph.

Certain situations call for a different approach.

As in: Don’t just do something.  Stand there.

“Sometimes, staying put, going sideways, or moving backward is actually the best way to eliminate what blocks or impedes our path,” Ryan writes.

Yesterday, we looked … continue reading

1: The phone rang around midnight as Martin Luther King Jr. was getting ready for bed.  

It was January 27th, 1956, “the most important night of his life,” says Martin’s Pulitzer-winning biographer, David Garrow, “the one he would always think back to in future years when the pressures again seemed too great.”

The man on the other end of the phone called Martin the N-word and told him, “We … continue reading

1: The greatest American civil rights leader was at first an unwilling one.

In September 1954, Martin Luther King Jr. was 25 years old. He had just completed studying for his doctorate at Boston University. He and his wife Coretta moved to Montgomery, Alabama to realize his career goal of becoming a pastor. A little more than a year later, on November 17th, their first child, Yolanda, was born.

“Around … continue reading

1: The date was June 4, 1940.  Nazi Germany was on the verge of victory over France.  The situation was desperate.  Prime Minister Winston Churchill had to prepare the British people for a momentous challenge ahead.

“We shall fight in France.

We shall fight on the seas and oceans.

We shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air.

We shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may … continue reading

Last Monday, we celebrated the birthday of one of my favorite Americans, Martin Luther King, Jr.  Fifty years later, his “I have a dream speech” continues to inspire us toward a better future, to become a better country.

As leaders, we should take note: vision is powerful, one of the most powerful tools in our leadership tool belt.  

This week we’re exploring five lessons from PCI ‘s 100 years which … continue reading