Why MLK Would Have Made a Great Business Owner

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, people reflect on the great man's life and legacy by honoring his impact on civil rights, faith, family, and standing up for what's right in the face of adversity.

To be sure, MLK's influence in all of those areas was transcendent.

But I also believe that King would have made a great business owner. Many of the things he said are incredibly insightful if viewed through the lens of an entrepreneur. 

That makes sense, given that his profession was as a pastor. As the leader of a staff and thousands of congregants, he was essentially the CEO of the major organization that was Ebenezer Baptist Church. 

And by all accounts, he was a good CEO.

So on this MLK Day, I want to share three quotes with you from Martin Luther King Jr. that may shift your perspective and level up your mindset about what it takes to be successful in business — and life.

#1. "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase."

Anyone who has started a business has walked this out. I remember finishing up my graduate degree at the University of Denver and soul-searching my next steps. The prudent thing would have been to parlay my master's degree into a good-paying job. That's what all of my classmates were doing. It's what culture told me I should do. Frankly, it's what my looming student loans suggested would have been the smart move! But I had a different vision. Even at that early age, I knew I wanted to create a life for myself where I would have control over my time and income so that I could be fully present in the lives of my [future] kids — and I believed that could best be accomplished as a business owner. I couldn't see the whole staircase, but I knew my first step. Maybe you're at a crossroads and know that a change is in order. Further, maybe you know that it's time to go into business for yourself, perhaps even invest in a franchise. Don't expect to see in advance how the whole thing will unfold. There are always twists and turns to the entrepreneurial journey. But you cantake the first step of saying "yes" and getting started. MLK calls that stepping out in faith.

#2. "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"

Early on in my entrepreneurial career, a mentor defined business for me in a way that has always stuck with me. It's what MLK is talking about here. My mentor told me that as a business owner, I will be compensated for the value I bring to the marketplace. Move value = more money. It's as simple as that. And the single best way to add more value is to make someone's life better. In business, that means improving their quality of life through the products or services you offer. The most successful business owners think about their customers first. How can you serve them better? How can you make a positive impact on their lives? How can you provide great customer service? In short, What are you doing for others? When those are the types of questions that drive you when you wake up in the morning, success will inevitably follow. MLK understood that the most fruitful and meaningful lives are ones where we put others before ourselves. That's a principle that certainly applies to business, too.

#3. "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."

In business, there will inevitably be setbacks. The path to success is never a straight line. Clients may not renew their contracts with you. The big account you were hoping to land may fall through. Your best employee may move on. The economy will go through ups and downs, the next COVID may hit... you get the idea. But as MLK points out, those are all "finite disappointments." They don't last. They are temporary. They can be overcome. It's the infinite hope that matters. For MLK, he was talking about the hope we have in Christ. For business owners, it's our WHY. It's our reason for going into business in the first place. It's the vision I talked about earlier that drives us to keep going when things get challenging, believing in the ultimate destination — a life of financial freedom, impact, more time with our families, and a lasting legacy. Business ownership, when done right, is incredibly rewarding. But it's critical that you're able to look past the finite disappointments and keep your eyes fixed on the prize, as MLK encourages us to do.

I hope you've found inspiration in these timeless words by Martin Luther King Jr. As I wrap up, I'll leave you with my favorite MLK quote that, I think, has more relevance for the state of the world today even than when MLK uttered it decades ago: