[Martin Luther King, Jr.] gave the ‘I have a dream’ speech, not the ‘I have a plan’ speech.

Source: "How Great Leaders Inspire Action." TEDxPuget Sound. Sep. 2009. Conference Presentation. Additional Information: Martin Luther King, Jr. was an inspirational leader because he told people what he believed, not what he planned to do -- that is the meaning of this Simon Sinek quote. In the 2009 Ted Talk this quote is from, Sinek discusses what makes an effective inspirational leader: they answer the question "Why?" Watch the full TED Talk here: Simon Sinek - How Great Leaders Inspire Action