Nomination of Malcom X as Ethical Leader
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader” (John Quincy Adams). However, not all leaders are ethical leaders. Nonetheless, not every ethical person is a leader. Indeed, there are many people that are both ethical and a leader, in fact, I believe that Malcom X was an Ethical leader. Personally, I believe ethical leaders must have a purpose that is both morally correct and inspires many. I believe that the following quote by Malcom X shows the essence of his ethical leadership, “A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything” (Malcom X). Malcom X was a man who stood for the truth regardless of the situation, therefore Malcom X was an ethical
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This is the 2nd principle of ethical intelligence. Malcom X was a leader who sought to make things better, both for himself and for those who faced injustices. The following quote by Malcom shows this idea of making things better, “My thinking had been opened wide in Mecca… I’ve had enough of someone else’s propaganda … I’m for truth no matter who tells it. I’m for justice no matter who it is for or against. I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole”. 373- (X and Haley 1973) This shows that Malcom acted on the 2nd principle of ethical intelligence of making things better, because of the fact he was not one sided with his view of Justice. Sadly during that period of history the concept of Justice was rather one sided. In fact, Malcom X himself had this one sided view of Justice before his trip overseas. However, what makes Malcom a true ethical leader is that he owned up to his mistakes and worked to correct all the wrong he had done. Essentially, he died correcting the wrong that he helped spread. This shows that he also practiced the third and fourth principle of ethical intelligence. Malcom X’s central purpose was to be fair and give everyone his or her due. This idea of giving everyone their due is what justice is all about. By Speaking out against the ways of the Nation of Islam Malcom practice the idea of respect others by telling …show more content…
There are many life lessons that can be learned by studying the life and actions of Malcom X. Thus, I believe that we as students can learn from Malcom; acting with integrity, holding firm to our beliefs, always updating our views, to seek knowledge, and to stand for justice no matter the situation. Often times, the people of modern society frame their views based on ill-informed ideas and views. Personally, I think by studying the life of Malcom I am more careful about subscribing to a particular view without really having a vast understanding of it. In addition, it takes a lot of courage to stand up for that which is just, however, the reward is far more
Malcolm X while in prison completed his first transformation. Like many great figures and history makers had a low point in is life. At this time Malcolm was into drugs, hustling, women and money. He became so dependant on making a lot of money he and some of his friends decided to rob the house of an old white man. They were caught for this crime and were not only charged with this crime but were also charged with having sex with white women. Malcolm and his friend "Shorty" were sentenced to six years in prison. The two white women that were Malcolm and Shorty’s accomplices were sentenced to a year in jail. During the first couple days of prison Malcolm was coming off a drug high and was having withdrawals. These withdrawals led Malcolm into solitary confinement for two months. When he was let out of his chamber he met the man that would later be responsible for Malcolm’s transformation. This man was a follower of the nation of Islam and the great Alijah Muhammad. Malcolm learned a great deal form him. This shows us that even in the worst of circumstances we can learn and become better. This transformation was a great test for Malcolm and starts to let us see what a great influence he would end up being in the lives of many Americans.
Malcom X's "A Homemade Education" tells a story of how he gained knowledge by himself and how it guided his thoughts and ideas. Reading also molded his political views. Although Malcom X is a very outspoken person about racism in America, and throughout the world, I find that he has a right to be angry, but goes a little overboard on blaming whites.
Of the people whose names are mentioned in history, some men like Thomas Edison are praised for their genius minds, while others such as Adolf Hitler are criticized for leaving a depressing legacy behind. While it is relative easy to notice the type of legacies these two men left, legacies of other men are often vague and they seem to be imbedded in gray shadows. This is how many people view the life of Malcolm X. Malcolm X during his lifetime had influenced many African Americans to step up for their rights against the injustices by the American government. One on hand, he has been criticized for his hard stances that resemble extremism, while on the other hand he has been praised him for his effort in raising the status for African Americans. The extremes in viewing his life from the modern day perspective have often come from reading his climatic speech The Ballot or the Bullet that he gave in many cities across America in 1964. When he was with the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X favored Blacks to be separated from the Whites, and during this time he strongly opposed White Supremacy. This also seems quite prevalent in his speech The Ballot or the Bullet. However, one events during the last year of his life reveal that he wanted the Blacks and the Whites to coexist as peaceful Americans.
autobiography. He also illustrates his early experiences of segregation, as early as before he was born:
...res, and plunder, and power.” By reading all these books it built hatred towards the whites and anticipated as a necessarily to fight for the human rights of the African American people. In contrast, to Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X decided to fight violence with violence. As a result of his action, know his well known as the ideal civil rights activists for African Americans.
Malcolm X should be everyone’s hero, someone people like myself should look up to as a human being. Anyone who thinks otherwise is either a racist or is extremely ignorant. Malcolm X wore his heart on his sleeve and whether right or wrong he was never afraid to say what was on his mind to anyone who cared to listen. I personally believe Malcolm X’s beliefs give me strength to do what's right and carry myself with dignity. I remember, as a kid, my parents had tons of books about Black History books. The first book I read was a Malcolm X biography. I realized Malcolm X was truly a powerful, significant, and essential work for all time.
“I’m for the truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole” (X). This quote by Malcolm X represented his attitude towards equality and self-empowerment. The true Malcolm X was a passionate human rights activist as well as an extremely outspoken man during the fifties and sixties. X encouraged millions of African Americans to fight for what they believed in and to take pride in their ethnicity. X persuaded a multitude of African Americans that they are supreme and should not be degraded for their skin color. He learned at a very early age if he wanted something in life, he had to make some noise
Malcolm X was a hero for his time and beyond. I believe that a true hero deviates from society, and follows his own compass. A hero fights against all odds, and makes new ones. He fights for more than his own struggles but the struggles of every single person, and for generations to come. Malcolm X was a hero in more ways than one. He was a true hero.
In conclusion, most of the times we tend to ignore the opportunities that are around us and do not put effort in changing our lives or others. Whether you love him or hate him but, you have to admit that Malcolm was the one who contributed in changing Americans social life as we know it
He was part of the militant force that King describes for a very long time. But in 1963 he traveled to Mecca and changed his ways. He no longer preached violence, and began preaching self-defense. He believed now that “(in order) to gain control over the economy of our own community, the businesses and the other things which create employment so that we can provide jobs for our own people instead of having to picket and boycott and beg someone else for a job.” Malcom X’s approach was to create more opportunities within the African American community to get ahead of the white Americans and then they will have a better chance at integrating in the future because they will be seen as equals who had risen from the ashes, this should be African Americans goals to stick together and gain control of their own community instead of trying to force their way into someone else’s. The black man has become a beggar in every way in society, and when the young people grow up listening to the preaching of the time that generation will be ready to do what it takes to get what it wants. African Americans had lived in a society for so long begging for equal rights, and through the preaching of the time, Malcom X explained that it was bringing up the next generation, training them in a way, to go forward with their lives and fight for what they want, an end to Jim Crow and
The short story “Superman and Me” by Sherman Alexie, and the excerpt “Learning to Read” from The Autobiography of Malcom X had similar themes, although they were written with different styles. The theme these two stories had alike was the power of learning through books and reading. Sherman Alexie and Malcom X both drastically improved their education by teaching themselves new things. They did this by reading books, dictionaries, and anything else that interested them. It is amazing what these two men have done for themselves, and very inspiring. Sherman Alexie became a successful writer, and Malcom X became one of the most powerful leaders of black America. The impact that books and other written pieces had on these men did not happen overnight, but in the end it was time well spent.
Mike Rose was placed in the vocational track at his high school due to a mix up of his test results with another student named Rose. (Rose 152). He unwittingly found himself heading towards an educational dead end due to the nature of the vocational program at his school. The goal of the curriculum was to improve the economic advantages of children who were poor students. These already disinterested students were matched with mostly poor teachers. That is unlikely to have been an accident. The administrations thinking was probably “why place a strong teacher with students unlikely to benefit from being taught well?” As a sophomore the placement error was corrected by a Brother Clint who noticed that his student was doing better than expected and researched why this student who was testing so well was on the vocational track. Now in College Prep classes Rose still did not have the interest or motivation to absorb nor enjoy the things presented to him to learn. However Jack McFarland would change that for him and in a big way. McFarland who taught English at Our Lady of Mercy ignited a love of literature and writing in a young Mike Rose with his gravitas and enthusiasm for the subject. Malcom X was a well-known civil rights leader ...
More often than not, the quality of leadership lies deep within certain people. It is not a quality that people build or develop easily. The basis of good leadership is personality. Those who have dynamic and charismatic personalities can lead, if they choose to do so. Malcolm X possessed these types of qualities. Throughout his life, Malcolm—born Malcolm Little—always showed a proficiency for leadership, as evidenced by his roles as seventh-grade class president, as leading hustler ...
Malcolm X was a freedom fighter like Dr. King who fought for the right and freedoms for black Americans. Unlike Malcolm, Dr. King called black Americans blacks while Malcolm called them Negros. Malcolm used violence in his fight for freedom when he said, “Revolution was based upon bloodshed”. Malcolm was ready for anything as far as blacks will gain the respect and freedom they needed. In Malcolm’s black revolution, he made it clear how blacks were treated differently no matter their age, what school they came out of, no matter what their intellectual or professional level was, they were still recognized as a boy and were not given the respect they deserved. He also pointed out how whites made them think they had different goals and objectives.
Ethical leadership organizational ethics and socially responsibility are inseparable (Johnson). Leadership is not a inherited gift or family heritage; it is not a degree from an ivy league graduate school. Becoming a leader is an intentional process of growth that must be lived out experientially (Mullane). Ethical leaders demonstrate three distinctive characteristics, knowledge, action and character. Leaders have to have the ability to say “yes” or even “no” to a never ending series of challenges. A leader needs to be able to define their values, character and leadership style. When accepting the role of leadership you become encumbered by ethical issues and concerns. .