Tuesday, May 5, 2015

What did Martin Luther King mean by the "drum major instinct"? How can this instinct have a negative impact in leadership? How can it have a...

In Martin Luther King Jr.'s final sermon, he talked about the "drum major instinct," which can be defined as a desire to be noticed, to stand out and to be significant or noted by others. To put this idea into context, King tells the Biblical story of the brothers James and John, who asked to be seated at the left and right hand of Jesus. At first glance, says King, their request seems "selfish," but in fact it is symptomatic of the drum major instinct that every human possesses.

In terms of leadership, the drum major instinct was problematic for King. When it is "unharnessed," for example, it can cause leaders to think that they are better than those they lead, to believe that they are more important and that their additional experience or training sets them apart from others. In other words, it creates arrogance and "snobbishism."


In contrast, when the drum major instinct is brought under control and a leader lives in accordance with Christian values, it can bring greatness and benefit everybody. To illustrate this point, King reminds the audience of Jesus's leadership skills and abilities: he fed the hungry, served humanity, and always showed love and kindness to others. 

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