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Depression plagued King, firstly due to the misery or his people. He had an immense amount of anger in him over the murder of innocent people by white segregationists however channeled it constructively in his focus on creative non-violence. Secondly, there was the shame and guilt of his own inadequacies. He felt undeserving of the honour he received as his own life had been privileged in contrast to the negros he was trying to help. Not only this but he despised himself for his weakness for other women having been involved in several extra-marital liaisons. This would have created an ethical dilemma when he was admired as the country�s �moral� leader. Indeed the FBI used this in an attempt to destroy his credibility among the nation.
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It is interesting to relate King�s leadership style to the path-goal theory of leadership effectiveness. This means that �in general, a leader attempts to clarify the path to a goal for members so they receive personal payoffs�.[2] The negro community suffered from a lack of education and a lack of self-confidence. The task itself was fairly straight forward however it was necessary for King to engage a supportive style of leadership due to their uncertainty in their own ability. This was shown by his willingness to join with them personally in the protests. 


In recent times King�s ethics have been called into question amid accusations of plagiarism where it has been found that many of his writings and sermons had been taken from previouauthors.[1]

In conclusion, Martin Luther King Jr was a transformational and charismatic leader. He also showed qualities of servant leadership. He led his team in a participative style and held a referent power over them. Due to his desire to enter academic life it is questionable as to whether he would have taken a leadership role if it had not been for his passion for civil rights. He was a humble man, uncomfortable with the honour he was granted as the moral leader of the country. Indeed his ethics are brought into question due to extramarital affairs and more recently accusations of plagiarism in his writing.
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References:
[1] Carson, C., Holloran, P., Luker, R.E. & Russell, P. (1991). Martin Luther King, Jr., as scholar: A reexamination of his theological writing. The Journal of American History, 78(1), Academic Research Library, pg. 93.
[2] Dubrin, A.J., Dalglish, C. & Miller, P. (2006). Leadership 2nd Asia-Pacific edition.
Australia: John Wiley & Sons.

Image
Sourced from Martin Luther King Jr tribute page. In Mabelvale Magnet Middle School
Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

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