Martin Luther King, Jr.

Born in 1929, Dr. King followed in the footsteps of his father as a Baptist minister. He
started his civil rights career as the leader of the bus boycott the night that Rosa Parks
was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama. Dr. King’s powerful speeches and belief in
peaceful protest put energy into the civil rights movement. In January 1957, he and
several others founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In 1960, Dr.
King gained national notoriety for his arrest at a lunch counter sit-in, which came to the
attention of presidential candidate John F. Kennedy. He was soon released and went on
to have even greater influence in the fight for civil rights.
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speeches ignited smaller movements for equal rights through
the American South and beyond. Dr. King is best known for the August 28, 1963, march
on Washington that drew more than 200,000 people. At that march, he delivered his
famous “I Have a Dream” speech. The following year, the Civil Rights Act of 1964
was passed.

Mother Teresa

Born in Macedonia (now Yugoslavia) as Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu in 1910, Mother

Teresa was a Roman Catholic nun best known for her work with the poor. Mother
Teresa joined the Sisters of Loreto when she was 18 and moved to India in 1929. As a
novitiate, she was sent to Calcutta and taught at St. Mary’s School for Girls.
In 1946, Mother Teresa abandoned teaching to follow what she considered her calling,
founding the Missionaries of Charity to live and serve in the slums of Calcutta. Over the
course of the 1950s and ’60s, she established a leper colony, an orphanage, a nursing
home, a family clinic and a string of mobile clinics.
In 1971, she traveled to New York to open her first U.S.-based house of charity. In
1985, she spoke at the 40th anniversary of the United Nations General Assembly. By
the time of her death, the Missionaries of Charity numbered over 4,000 sisters with 610
foundations in 123 countries. Her inspiring, devout persona and devotion to a singular
idea make her a good example of a charismatic leader.
Sir Winston Churchill

Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill was born in 1874. Although he is best known for
being the prime minister of England during World War ll, he honed his communication
skills as a war correspondent in World War l and crafted legislation for Parliament as a
member. He was a powerful orator who used radio speeches to buoy the British
people’s resilience during Germany’s World War II bombing of England.

Lee Iacocca

Lido Anthony Iacocca was brought to Chrysler in the late 1970s to rescue the
automaker from impending bankruptcy. Those who saw Iacocca “work the room,”
ultimately persuading Congress to guarantee a huge loan to Chrysler, observed a
charismatic leader working his magic.
Iacocca, an automotive executive with an undergraduate degree in industrial
engineering, was not blessed with natural charisma, but he developed the talent. A
memorable example of his charismatic style is his signature slogan, “If you can find a
better car, buy it!”

Jack Welch
John Francis Welch was born in 1935 in Peabody, Massachusetts. He grew up playing
sports and used lessons he learned as an athlete throughout his life. After college,
Welch went to work at General Electric as a chemical engineer in 1960. He rose
through the ranks to become the youngest CEO in GE’s history in 1981.
As a CEO, Welch went out of his way to develop positive relationships with GE
employees and customers. He talked informally with workers, making them feel as
if they might receive a note or a visit from him at any time. Although Welch didn’t
hesitate to cut costs and lay off employees he viewed as poor performers, his
leadership style engendered a sense of value and pride in the company.