Leadership - A discussion of traits, characteristics, and current news of leaders.

More than 10,000 mourners gathered at a Baptist church in Lithonia, Georgia, to pay tribute to Coretta Scott King, a champion of racial equality and the widow of Nobel peace laureate Martin Luther King Jr.

Her  funeral, held at a Baptist church in Lithonia, Georgia,


If Rosa Parks sparked the modern civil rights movement, Coretta Scott King was the first lady of the U.S. civil rights movement.

There are plenty of leadership topics that are timely and worthy of writing about. But this post may not include many. Instead you’ll have to hear about two hours of musical ecstasy because I just can’t bring myself to not share the sheer exuberance I experienced at a U2 concert last night. But stick with me.

It was nearly four o’clock yesterday afternoon when I got a call from my wife telling me that she had scored some last minute tickets to the U2 concert at the Staples Center. I am a big fan of live music and catch as many concerts as I can over the course of a year but a chance to see U2 live – in my mind is the mother lode. Not that I haven’t seen them before – I have many times. In fact, I saw Bono and mates in Phoenix just last spring as they embarked on the Vertigo (current) tour.

Now the tour was winding down, would it be as enjoyable having seen the band just six months ago? My anticipation was concentrated and my expectations soared. However, I had no idea how memorable this concert would become. I can’t say enough about this performance. I have been somewhat flummoxed while writing this. The experience last night was so dynamic and filled with emotion that it seems ridiculous to try and convey what it felt like to be there. But such conveyance is a challenge that is worthy of my effort and keenly accomplished by a fellow attendee and U2 blogger.

The show was quite different than in Phoenix last April. In Phoenix, it was typical U2 energy and a set list that was an amazing anthology of the band’s enduring sound. However, last night, Bono seemed more introspective. The lighting was more subdued. Blue and shadows replaced many of the bright reds and yellows of the Phoenix show. While the band was right on, the concert could not have felt any less programmed and planned. That made it special.

As you can note in the set list, the band hooked and weaved several non-U2 songs into their own hits. It was as if Bono, the Edge, Adam and Larry were sharing the music that inspired them but not through a simple cover song. Rather, Bono subtley dropped snippets of non-U2 songs throughout the night including Rockaway Beach and In a Little While (Ramones), Many Rivers To Cross (Jimmy Cliff) Exodus (Bob Marley) Rock The Casbah (The Clash) When Johnny Comes Marching Home (Civil War song) Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division) and People Have The Power (Patti Smith). It was random and magic.

I have already written about great leadership and leadership principles found in historic military wars and battles such as World War II and the Civil War. It is easy to find leadership in such times of national crisis and battle.

The passing of Rosa Parks was a poignant reminder about the power of one.

One person sitting down for moral authority
One person standing up for truth
One woman
Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks who defied law and prejudice by remaining seated on a bus sparked the modern civil rights movement, died Monday evening at the age of 92. Her simple action led to a 381-day boycott of the Montgomery bus system, organized by a then unknown Baptist minister, one Reverend Martin Luther King. This spawned the mass movement which culminated in the 1964 Civil Rights Act and an end to segregation.

"I am leaving this legacy to all of you, to bring peace, justice, equality, love and a fulfillment of what our lives should be. Without vision, the people will perish, and without courage and inspiration, dreams will die - the dream of freedom and peace." - Rosa Parks.