Innovation Blog

“I Have a Dream!” – Merging Spontaneity and Discipline in Innovation

By Shlomo Maital

 

 

 

Today America celebrates Martin Luther King Day.  We recall the remarkable “I Have a Dream” speech given on Aug. 28, 1963, for only 17 minutes, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial – a speech that influenced millions and probably changed history.  But how did those memorable words at the very end of his talk happen?  Where did they come from?

  The particularly moving and dramatic segment, with the refrain “I Have a Dream”, almost didn’t happen.  King came to the end of his prepared speech.    And then, gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, on the stage with him, had an insight.  As a performer she realized that King had failed to energize and impassion his audience – which is what gospel singers do, and do it wonderfully.  And she also knew how King could do it.  She had appeared with him at various rallies, and recalled one particularly powerful speech King gave earlier that year in Detroit, when he marched at a demonstration with legendary labor leader Walter Reuther. 

    “Tell them about the dream, Martin!”  Mahalia Jackson said.  You can clearly hear her speaking these words on most of the YouTube versions of the speech.  “Tell them about the dream!”. 

    M.L. King listened.  He got it.  He understood.  He seized the moment.  He was able to improvise, turning an ordinary speech into one of the most extraordinary orations in history.  He did this with a combination of spontaneity – he probably made the decision to add the “I have a dream” segment in a split second – and discipline, because he had given the “dream” segment before, prepared it, thought about it, and it was like a perfectly designed suit of clothes ready to be taken out of its wrapping and worn immediately. 

    Spontaneity, and discipline – the oil-and-water combination that when combined, create history-making innovation.  This for me is one of the messages of M.L. King’s wonderful speech.