What really matters?

I was ten years old when Martin Luther King gave his speech that has brought to the forefront the topic of what makes a person great isn’t the race, religion or position of leadership but the content of their character! I don’t have much of a memory of this day but do remember the national tragedy of the assignation of JFK. I have vivid memories of being with my mom’s side of the family and that everyone was in tears about what had taken place. The nation was in mourning and a cloud of gloom hung over our nation. The reality is that a cloud of racism and supremacy continues to haunt our country.

I do appreciate all of the posts on various sites that talk about leadership, management and relating to a wide variety of circumstances. What I continue to question is the sense that the key influencers of today, whether that is on LinkedIn or another site, is that it is easy to give advice as if you are on top of the ‘heap’ looking down at those that are mere novices when it comes to education, business or family life. My question is what really matters? Is it how many followers you have on FB, Twitter, LinkedIn or hits on a YouTube Clip? Why is it the case that character isn’t at the forefront of all of these leadership discussions?

I do appreciate those who post and are honest about going back to what really matters! There was a picture of two young kids that lived in the 60’s having dinner together with mom and dad. This could have been a Norman Rockwell picture in the New Yorker. It reflected on a past where family, togetherness, being honest and faithful in everything matter. Today we have succumbed to pragmatism so that what ever works regardless of its ethical focus is what drives us. I know that it takes a certain type of presence and communication skills to keep an audience captivated. We live in an age of entertainment where the substance of what is done or said is in the background of how often we laughed and how quick the speaker is to bash or exaggerate someone else’s quirks.

I know that in my neighborhood that it is unlikely to have teens or adults of different racial backgrounds naturally be friends or partners in business. I wish this weren’t so but this is the case. I so much want to scream out that the color; educational background or neighborhood where you live has little to do with the real quality of person you will become. The assumption in the world around me is that education is the panacea of the ills in marginalized neighborhoods. Much as the kid born into an upper middle class family will attend schools that will position them for higher education and better paying jobs until a recession hits and college degrees or now like high school diplomas in the past generation.

I just voted for a local election where my district had a mix of individuals running for a city council seat. There was an older pastor, a young lawyer and a young local activist. I know that the racial background or religious center of these individuals should or shouldn’t matter? It is clear that often people of similar backgrounds or heritages think alike and often vote for the same individuals or issues. Yet, the question that comes out of my childhood with both JFK and MLK is having character that influences others and a heart to give to those not as fortunate the ultimate matter in life?