LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM NELSON MANDELA

By

Ukertor Gabriel Moti (Ph.D.) MIMC, FCPA

Associate Professor of Public Administration
Department of Public Administration,
University of Abuja-Nigeria
+2348033114425
ukertor@yahoo.com

Introduction
Leadership is one of the world’s oldest preoccupations and a universal phenomenon in humans
(Bass, 1990). From ancient to modern history, leadership has played an integral role in
developing groups, societies, and nations. Over centuries, leadership has been defined in terms
of leaders’ behaviours.
A leader is one or more people who selects, equips, trains, and influences one or more
follower(s) who have diverse gifts, abilities, and skills and focuses the follower(s) to the
organization’s mission and objectives causing the follower(s) to willingly and enthusiastically
expend spiritual, emotional, and physical energy in a concerted coordinated effort to achieve
the organizational mission and objectives. The leader achieves this influence by humbly
conveying a prophetic vision of the future in clear terms that resonates with the follower(s)
beliefs and values in such a way that the follower(s) can understand and interpret the future
into present-time action steps.
In this process, the leader presents the prophetic vision in contrast to the present status of the
organization and through the use of critical thinking skills, insight, intuition, and the use of
both persuasive rhetoric and interpersonal communication including both active listening and
positive discourse, facilitates and draws forth the opinions and beliefs of the followers such
that the followers move through ambiguity toward clarity of understanding and shared insight
that results in influencing the follower(s) to see and accept the future state of the organization
as a desirable condition worth committing personal and corporate resources toward its
achievement.
The leader achieves this using ethical means and seeks the greater good of the follower(s) in
the process of action steps such that the follower(s) is/are better off (including the personal
development of the follower as well as emotional and physical healing of the follower) as a
result of the interaction with the leader. The leader achieves this same state for his/her own self
as a leader, as he/she seeks personal growth, renewal, regeneration, and increased stamina–
mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual–through the leader-follower interactions.

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The leader recognizes the diversity of the follower(s) and achieves unity of common values
and directions without destroying the uniqueness of the person. The leader accomplishes this
through innovative flexible means of education, training, support, and protection that provide
each follower with what the follower needs within the reason and scope of the organization’s
resources and accommodations relative to the value of accomplishing the organization’s
objectives and the growth of the follower. The leader, in this process of leading, enables the
follower(s) to be innovative as well as self-directed within the scope of individual-follower
assignments and allows the follower(s) to learn from his/her/their own, as well as others’
successes, mistakes, and failures along the process of completing the organization’s objectives.
The leader accomplishes this by building credibility and trust with the followers through
interaction and feedback to and with the followers that shapes the followers’ values, attitudes,
and behaviours towards risk, failure, and success. In doing this, the leader builds the followers’
sense of self-worth and self-efficacy such that both the leader and followers are willing and
ready to take calculated risks in making decisions to meet the organization’s goals/objectives
and through repeated process steps of risk taking and decision-making the leader and followers
together change the organization to best accomplish the organization’s objectives.
The leader recognizes the impact and importance of audiences outside of the organization’s
system and presents the organization to outside audiences in such a manner that the audiences
have a clear impression of the organization’s purpose and goals and can clearly see the purpose
and goals lived out in the life of the leader. In so doing, the leader examines the fit of the
organization relative to the outside environment and shapes both the organization and the
environment to the extent of the leader’s capability to insure the best fit between the
organization and the outside environment (Winston and Patterson, 2006).
The leader throughout each leader-follower-audience interaction demonstrates his/her
commitment to the values of (a) humility, (b) concern for others, (c) controlled discipline, (d)
seeking what is right and good for the organization, (e) showing mercy in beliefs and actions
with all people, (f) focusing on the purpose of the organization and on the well-being of the
followers, and (g) creating and sustaining peace in the organization–not a lack of conflict but
a place where peace grows.

Can we draw leadership lessons from the life and times of Nelson Mandela?
This is what we have attempted to do in this paper. When writing an essay with such a strong
focus on a specific political actor we find it fruitful to present at least a summarised biography.
Nelson Mandela is the most famous African today. His amazing rollercoaster ride to freedom
after 27 years in apartheid prisons to become president of the new “rainbow nation” of South
Africa is now legendary. Equally impressive was his successful reconciliation of a deadly
conflict seen by many commentators as intractable. Mandela sacrificed much to the struggle
for freedom in South Africa, including his very liberty as well as his private life. Mandela
would be the first to agree that he and many, many other antiapartheid leaders and supporters
combined to remove the apartheid regime, but Mandela stood at the apex of this resistance:
the general, the organizer, the African King, the “Father of the Nation” capable of realizing
momentous social change. Mandela, (the Black Pimpernel) with his tremendously physical

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presence, was a man of action willing to take up armed struggle in defence of the freedom and
liberty of his people.
Even Mandela’s enemies and jailers admired his unflinching courage and dedication. He won
a national and global stature equal to none in a period when political leaders have disenchanted
many people. Mandela was able to rise above the rigid constraints of the virulent racism of
apartheid and the intense bitterness it engendered in many people, but he also was a product of
his time and had to face apartheid’s equally bitter social and economic legacy. He faced this
head-on and laid down a democratic constitutional and political framework seen by many as
the most progressive in the world today, and which set a new path for South Africans. Although
global and national forces delayed the realization of some of his dreams, Mandela (or “Madiba”
as many South Africans affectionately know him), even after his term as president, remained
remarkably active in his late 80s, speaking out for human rights and for action against acute
social problems.
Nelson Mandela’s childhood and family background helped shape his personality and the
views that would be so evident in his later life. Mandela’s own memories and feelings about
his childhood, as related in his autobiography, show how influential—at one level—were these
years. Mandela’s birthplace was the small South African rural village of Mvezo in the district
of Qunu. Although the house in which he was born no longer exists, this beautiful village still
exists today, not very far from the town of Umtata (Mthatha) in the region known as the
Transkei (literally, across the Kei River). The Mandela homestead overlooked the Mbashe
(Bashee) River.
At first glance, this landscape seems so tranquil: gurgling unpolluted rivers run through rolling
hills inhabited by livestock tended by boys’ shepherds. This is the heartland of the Thembu
people, an important section of the Xhosa nation. Here Rolihlahla Madiba Dalibhunga
Mandela, later known the world over as Nelson Mandela, was born on July 18, 1918. In these
pastoral surroundings, Mandela learned from his family and clan about his people’s culture and
traditions. Later, he would attend English language, European-style schools, but as a child, he
fully imbibed Xhosa culture, its language, initiation customs, and ideas of leadership and
humanness or Ubuntu (a feeling of fellowship and compassion in African society). His given
name, Rolihlahla, translates literally as “one who pulls branches from a tree,” or simply
“troublemaker.” His clan name Madiba (“reconciler”) would remain a “praise name” and term
of affection used by friends and compatriots in years to come.
Even though Mandela was in prison, he remained the leader of the ANC. He did this with great
success; becoming the symbol for equal rights. Even the opposition grudgingly acknowledged
Mandela’s persistence and leadership abilities. When F.W. de Klerk became the President of
South Africa, he often met Mandela to discuss politics, seeking Mandela’s leadership advice
on leadership for the future. Mandela’s leadership skills and persistence have not only impacted
South Africans. Statues of Mandela have been erected all over the world, including in India
and England. He will forever be remembered for his positive attitude towards all South
Africans, forgiving nature, and lack of bitterness whilst leading South Africa towards
democracy. He has been an inspiration to freedom fighters the world over, and arguably the
most powerful voice for social justice ever in recent history.
“Everyone can rise above circumstance and achieve success if they are dedicated to and
passionate about what they do”. In this simple sentence, Nelson Mandela sums up the greatest

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life lesson he had taught-persistence is key. Standing up for what you believe in, and staying
focussed on it, is key to success.
Underneath this monumental achievement lies a remarkable journey and a revealing portrait of
a man’s character. Together they provide priceless and enduring lessons in leadership.
Willie Pietersen in an article titled: What Nelson Mandela Taught the World about Leadership,
dealt with what he called: The Three Domains of Integrative/Integrated Leadership.
Let us digress a little and deal with Integrative Leadership.

What is Integrative Leadership?

Integrative Leadership is a holistic, reflective and responsive approach to leading oneself,
leading others, and leading in the organization. It is based on the book: Integrative Leadership:
Building a Foundation for Personal, Interpersonal and Organizational Success. The Integrative
Framework involves eight universal principles that form the matrix in which we live, work and
play. The Integrative Leadership Model is who we are as participants within this framework.
We call it simply the 4-3-2-1 model which is shorthand for: the four energies or domains of
intelligence; three levels of awareness; two choices that we face in each situation; and the
oneness or integration that we feel when all domains, all levels are aligned with a higher intent
in service to ourselves and others.
The four domains include awakening and development of our physical, mental, emotional and
spiritual intelligences, personally, interpersonally and organizationally.
The three levels of awareness psychologically would be our conscious (Who am I as
personality?); subconscious (Who am I as character?); and supraconscious (Who am I as my
Ideal or True Self?). These three levels of awareness express themselves culturally as
mechanistic (things), organic (people), and holistic (principles) in nature. We are observing a
collective shift in awareness that seems to involve consciously moving our global-social-
economic framework from the mechanistic to the organic paradigm.
The two refers to the power of choice in the moment, answering the question: “Will I react as
I always have from habits, traditions, customs or turbulent emotional states?”
OR “Will I reflect and then choose to respond to the situation in accord with the highest, noblest
and best I can envision and embody as my Ideal Self?”
Oneness is the integration of our intent, thoughts, feelings and actions in alignment with a
higher intent that leads to a state of flow psychologically, and a state of grace spiritually.
The path of integration involves transactional (mechanistic), transformational (organic) and
transcendent (holistic) change processes that intertwine and weave their way into the fabric of
our life.
The journey or process of integration begins with the individual. As Warren Bennis states:
“The process of becoming a leader is not much different from the process of becoming an
integrated human being.” Research has shown that each time we scratched the surface of a

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leader, we found a human being. It is found that if the human being is not right, then the leader
will not be right, and neither will the team, organization or community that they serve.
Great leaders, and the people who stand behind that role, have developed their three levels of
awareness by being competent, compassionate and conscious in their life and work. Great
leaders take the time to strengthen their inner relationships with themselves and the outer
relationships that form the circle of influence that make up their lives. It is from self-awareness
and self-management, other awareness and other management, that great leadership emerges.
So Integrative Leadership is the process of discovering what is unconsciously motivating us
and making it conscious in terms of the principles and intentions that Integrative Leaders
choose to stand for, the purpose and mission they choose to hold, the passion and motivations
from which they act; and the performance that is the visible result of those actions.
So in that sense, the integrative framework, model, principles, processes and practices seem to
become a mirror for people to examine their own life story and their own leadership story, and
infuse it with meaning and purpose and help formulate their own Integrative Leadership theory
of practice. The critical questions are:
1. My Ideal (Secret) Self: Who do I want to be? What is my vision?
2. My Mission: What is my purpose? What do I want to do and whom do I want to serve?
3. My Surreal (Public) Self: Who am I as a personality? What are my strengths and
weaknesses?
4. My Real (Private) self: Who am I as character or individuality? What are my strengths
and gaps?
5. Life and Leadership Learning: What is my learning agenda that will allow me to build
on my strengths and reduce my gaps? (reflecting on my strengths, hidden talents).
Where do my Ideal, Real and Surreal Selves Overlap (self-reflection) and Differ? What
can I do to fill the Gaps?
6. Application and Experimentation: I practice new behaviours, beliefs, feelings and
values on road to Mastery (through preparation, awakening, transforming, transcending
and integration).
7. Relations and Associations: I develop supportive and trusting relationships that make
my personal, interpersonal and organizational change possible. Who will support and
encourage me as I walk this path of integration?

Willie Pietersen suggested that leadership is ultimately about integrity, hence the idea of
integrated leadership. An integrated leader is one who is able to master the three domains of
leadership:
1. Personal Leadership (Leadership of Self). This is about demonstrating authenticity,
deep self-knowledge, and sound personal values—the source of one’s ability to
persuade.
2. Interpersonal leadership (Leadership of Others). This is the capacity to understand and
empathize with the needs of others and bring out the best in everyone.
3. Strategic Leadership (Leadership of the Organization—or in politics, Leadership of the
Nation). This is the ability to establish a winning strategy, the right priorities, and an
effective process for achieving success.

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These three domains are interdependent; when any one of them is ineffective, it undermines
the effectiveness of the whole. My own view is that mastery of self is the threshold requirement.
It is our permission to lead. If that is not in place, nothing else will work. In the words of
Socrates, “Let him who would move the world first move himself.”
Let’s examine Mandela’s leadership effectiveness through the lens of these three domains.
“Be the Change You Seek”: Mandela’s Personal Leadership Mastery of self was probably the
most remarkable aspect of Mandela’s leadership. Instead of simply languishing in prison, he
used the time to think deeply and muster his inner strength. He studied, contemplated his future
course and the future course of his nation, and clarified his vision for South Africa. Mandela,
like the other leaders of the African National Congress (ANC), had been convinced that
guerrilla warfare against the apartheid regime was a necessary part of their independence
struggle. After all, they reasoned, apartheid was itself a violent system; hence, a certain amount
of retaliatory violence was justified and arguably unavoidable.
However, during the 1970s and 1980s, the political situation evolved. Thanks in part to
worldwide political and economic pressure, even conservative white leaders like Prime
Minister P. W. Botha began to acknowledge that the country must “Adapt or die.” Little by
little, a majority of white South Africans came to accept the reality that the status quo was
unsustainable, and that a violent upheaval was becoming increasingly likely.
Mandela was following these developments from prison. He realized that anger and resentment
could easily ignite a bloody civil war. These emotions were present within every element of
South African society. The Afrikaners (white South Africans ultimately of Dutch descent,
sometimes called the Boers) feared the loss of power and the extinction of their proud language
and culture; the blacks were seeking retribution against their white oppressors and jockeying
for tribal advantage among themselves; and the Indian and mixed race groups (known as
“coloreds”) worried about black domination.
Mandela believed that a violent uprising against apartheid would have horrific results.
Therefore, finding some way to create a nonviolent transition to majority rule was essential.
But how do you persuade such diverse groups to let go of their deep-seated fears and
resentments and pursue a common purpose? Simple exhortation would not be enough. Mandela
understood that he first had to change himself before he could ask others to change themselves.
This was a challenge of moral leadership. In the words often attributed to the Indian
independence leader Mohandas K. Gandhi— words Mandela himself often quoted—“Be the
change that you seek.”
Of course, like any other political prisoner suffering at the hands of an unjust regime, Mandela
sometimes felt anger and thirsted for revenge. But he recognized that giving free rein to these
emotions would damage his capabilities as a leader. So he trained himself to master his feelings,
even while knowing that reaching out in friendship to those who had been deadly enemies of
his own kind would expose him to enormous personal danger.
While in prison, Mandela steeped himself in the writings of Shakespeare, from which he
derived profound insights into human psychology. It’s revealing that, when asked to name his
favourite passage from Shakespeare, he turned to act 2, scene 2 of Julius Caesar and cited the
lines: Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of death but once.
The strategic shift from armed confrontation to negotiations and reconciliation was not, for

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Mandela, a sign of softness or weakness. On the contrary, he thought of it as a matter of
strength, discipline, and courage.
In 1998, former President Bill Clinton visited Mandela, who took him to Robben Island and
showed him where he had spent those years doing hard labour and suffering numerous
indignities. Clinton was awestruck. “Surely,” he said, “you must have felt some anger and the
need for retribution after all this?” Mandela’s answer: “No. If I had allowed myself those
thoughts, I would have remained in prison, but it would have been a prison of my own making.”
In the same circumstances, how many of us would have been able to attain that victory within
ourselves?
Learning Your Enemy’s Language: Mandela’s Interpersonal Leadership
Along with this remarkable victory over himself, Mandela embarked on his campaign of
persuasion, beginning this work even before his release from prison. Because he aspired to
leadership of the whole nation, this required him to learn to empathize with all South
Africans—including those who considered him their enemy.
Consider these extraordinary actions: In prison, Mandela learned the Afrikaans language and
Afrikaner history. He conversed with his jailors and his negotiation counterparts in their own
language. He talked respectfully to his jailors, took an interest in their daily concerns and family
lives, and offered them advice when he could. He even studied rugby, the Afrikaner national
sport and intense source of Afrikaner pride, and discussed the nuances of the game with his
captors.
As Mandela has observed, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his
head. If you talk to him in his language that goes to his heart.” After, being freed, Mandela
continued to lead in the same vein. During negotiations with white leaders over the shape of
the new racially-integrated government, he drew upon his knowledge of South African history
to refer to Afrikaner heroes such as the generals who fought the English during the Boer War,
impressing and pleasing those on the other side of the table. When he was inaugurated as
president in 1994, one of the guests seated on the stage with him was an Afrikaner who had
been his chief jailor at Robben Island.
A year later, when the rugby world cup competition was staged in South Africa (largely thanks
to Mandela’s influence), he defied fellow leaders of the African National Congress by publicly
supporting the predominantly Afrikaner Springbok team. (Traditionally, black South Africans
had actually cheered for foreign teams when they played against the Springboks.) When the
Springboks won the world cup by beating New Zealand, Mandela donned the team’s jersey
and joined wholeheartedly in the victory celebrations in front of a TV audience of millions —
a huge unifying moment for the nation.
Perhaps most important, Mandela lent his support to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission,
a systematic process for the nation to undertake the painful but uplifting journey of forgiveness
and reconciliation. Chaired by the internationally respected Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the
commission invited victims of gross human rights violations under apartheid to give statements
about their experiences. Perpetrators of violence who gave honest testimony could receive
amnesty from prosecution.

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Not all South Africans have been satisfied by the work of the commission; some blacks, in
particular, resent the granting of amnesty to whites who abused their powers under apartheid.
But most people of all races regard the commission as an essential step in the peaceful transition
to democracy. Mandela’s brand of interpersonal leadership wasn’t easy to practice. Many of
his black allies worried that he was weak when dealing with white leaders. His rivals for
political power sometimes used inflammatory rhetoric to attract support among black South
Africans who were understandably angry over their long history of mistreatment and impatient
for radical change. Mandela had to exercise great emotional restraint, political skill, and his
enormous personal prestige to keep the warring factions within his own party more or less
under control.
Mandela’s interpersonal effectiveness stemmed from his mastery of self, coupled with his
profound empathy—the ability to see the world through the eyes of others. As the writer
Stephen King has said, “You have to start by knowing yourself so well that you begin to know
other people. A piece of us is in every person we meet.”
The Clear Trumpet: Mandela’s Strategic Leadership
Management guru Peter Drucker once said, “The first task of a leader is to be the trumpet that
sounds the clear sound.” Did Mandela define a clear goal and priorities, and did he harness an
effective method for reaching these? Let’s return to the speech Mandela gave when he was
freed from prison. Mandela had to walk a tightrope, offering a hand of friendship to the white
minority while assuring his black and colored compatriots that he would not forget their
sufferings or ignore their grievances. With the world holding its breath, Mandela began his
speech with these words:
Friends, comrades and fellow South Africans. I greet you all in the name of peace,
democracy and freedom for all. I stand here before you not as a prophet but as a humble
servant of you, the people. Your tireless and heroic sacrifices have made it possible for
me to be here today. I therefore place the remaining years of my life in your hands.
These words immediately made it clear that Mandela intended to represent all South Africans,
white and black. They also reassured anxious listeners around the world that Mandela was
deeply committed to democracy—a crucial point in an era when many observers associated
Africa with governmental corruption and autocracy. Mandela returned to this point frequently
throughout the remainder of his speech:
Negotiations on the dismantling of apartheid will have to address the over- whelming
demand of our people for a democratic, non-racial and unitary South Africa. . . . Our
march to freedom is irreversible. We must not allow fear to stand in our way. Universal
suffrage on a common voters’ role in a united democratic and non-racial South Africa
is the only way to peace and racial harmony.
Of course, in addition to being the political father of a reborn nation—the George Washington
of South Africa, if you will-Mandela also faced the kinds of strategic challenges any national
leader might face. His overriding vision of freedom and harmony implicitly embraced three
sub-goals; a political goal (democracy) a social goal (better living conditions) and an economic
goal (shared prosperity). All three, of course, were interrelated. On the political front, the
results have been stunning: a peaceful transition to democracy and black majority rule.

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Mandela was truly the trumpet that sounded the clear sound. He served as a majestic role model
of inclusiveness. On the social and economic fronts, the results have been much more mixed.
Mandela’s nobly-intended social programmes have been hobbled by a lack of funding, and
significant gaps have remained in areas such as health care, education, housing and jobs.
Economic growth has averaged just 2 to 4 percent annually, well short of the 6 percent that
economists say is needed to close the growing gap between white and black. Some of
Mandela’s staunchest admirers fault him for stepping down from the presidency in 1999, at the
height of his power and popularity, while leaving these problems unsolved. (Of course,
Mandela was almost 80 years old, and it would be hard to claim that he hadn’t earned the right
to retire.)
It’s clear, then, that Mandela did not achieve all his goals; the social and economic problems
of the country remain daunting. Was Mandela, then, a failed leader? I don’t think so. Compare
his legacy with that of Abraham Lincoln, who saved the Union and freed the slaves—yet it
took a hundred years for comprehensive civil rights legislation to be enacted. Like Lincoln,
Mandela established the essential foundations for a cause that transcended his lifetime.
Mandela’s Lessons in Leadership
How do we sum up what Mandela taught us about leadership? The first lesson is a simple
reminder: No leader is perfect. Mandela was not as successful in driving economic growth as
he was in the human aspects of leadership. And even with his formidable human strengths, he
was forced to make trade-offs on how he spent his time and energy. Some of his friends,
supporters, and even family members found him emotionally distant; some believe he
squandered the opportunities he enjoyed to transform South Africa’s economic and social
system in more fundamental ways. Even a great leader can’t do everything.
The second lesson is related to the first: Leadership effectiveness is situational. A leader’s
unique skills and attributes must match the moment. In the case of Mandela’s visionary
leadership, this match was excellent. Notice, for example, that Mandela’s decision to rely on
nonviolence and to campaign for democracy, and equality in the new South Africa was based,
in part, on the specific political and social circumstances he faced. Even in the apartheid era,
the South African government maintained a strong tradition (derived from its European
heritage) of respect for certain democratic norms, including elections, effective checks and
balances, and a strong, independent system of justice.
Mandela and his African supporters were able to appeal to these institutions and to the values
they represented as a way of rallying open-minded white South Africans to their cause.
Furthermore, it is important to mention that in the person of F.W. de Klerk, South Africa’s last
leader under the apartheid regime, Mandela found a negotiation partner who shared his vision
of a peaceful transition and showed the courage to help carry it through. The two men
subsequently shared the Nobel Peace Prize.
The third lesson: An effective leader must create powerful processes designed to lead to
desired outcomes. In his dedication to democracy, equality, and inclusiveness, Mandela
helped create processes (such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission) that would lead, in
the long run, to a freer nation in which everyone had a stake. But processes by themselves
can’t solve deep-seated political and social problems. To be trusted, processes must be based

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on the integrity of the leaders who implement and guide them. As Mandela showed us, in order
to bring about transformational change, certain leadership qualities are essential:
 Deep self-knowledge, humility, and a strong moral foundation
 Dedication to a cause larger than oneself
 A clear vision for success, supported by unwavering determination
 An ability to build trust by empathizing with the needs and concerns of others
 The personal strength to overcome bitterness and forgive one’s enemies
Together, these represent a unique combination of focus, principles, courage, and compassion.
We live in a world beset by sectarian hostilities. Imagine the possibilities if political leaders
everywhere could summon the moral strength to apply Nelson Mandela’s teachings.

Nelson Mandela: 8 Leadership Lessons

Sompong Yusoontorn and Richard Stengel have come up with 8 Leadership Lessons from the
life of Nelson Mandela.
Let us examine them.
1. Courage is not the absence of fear-its inspiring others to move beyond it.
Mandela said: “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over
it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid but he who conquers that fear”.
That is precisely what Mandela learned to do: pretend and, through the act of appearing
fearless, inspire others.

Prisoners who were with him said watching Mandela walk across the Courtyard, upright
and proud, was enough to keep them going for days. He knew that he was a model for
others, and that gave him the strength to triumph over his own fear.

Mandela was often afraid during his time underground, during the Rivonia trial that led
to his imprisonment, during his time on Robben Island. "Of course I was afraid!" he
would say later. It would have been irrational, he suggested, not to be. "I can't pretend
that I'm brave and that I can beat the whole world." But as a leader, you cannot let
people know. "You must put up a front."

2. Lead from the front- but do not leave your base behind.
Mandela is cagey. In 1985 he was operated on for an enlarged prostate. When he was
returned to prison, he was separated from his colleagues and friends for the first time
in 21 years. They protested. But as his long-time friend Ahmed Kathrada recalls, he
said to them, "Wait a minute, chaps. Some good may come of this." The good that
came of it was that Mandela on his own launched negotiations with the apartheid
government. This was anathema to the African National Congress (ANC). After
decades of saying "prisoners cannot negotiate" and after advocating an armed struggle
that would bring the government to its knees, he decided that the time was right to begin
to talk to his oppressors.

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 When he initiated his negotiations with the government in 1985, there were many who
thought he had lost it. "We thought he was selling out," says Cyril Ramaphosa, then the
Powerful and fiery leader of the National Union of Mine workers. "I went to see him to
tell him, what are you doing? It was an unbelievable initiative. He took a massive risk."
Mandela launched a campaign to persuade the ANC that his was the correct course.

His reputation was on the line. He went to each of his comrades in prison, Kathrada
remembers, and explained what he was doing. Slowly and deliberately, he brought them
along. "You take your support base along with you," says Ramaphosa, who was
Secretary-General of the ANC and is now Vice President. "Once you arrive at the
beachhead, then you allow the people to move on. He's not a bubble-gum leader —
chew it now and throw it away."

For Mandela, refusing to negotiate was about tactics, not principles. Throughout his
life, he has always made that distinction. His unwavering principle — the overthrow of
apartheid and the achievement of one man, one vote — was immutable, but almost
anything that helped him get to that goal he regarded as a tactic. He is the most
pragmatic of idealists.

Mandela was a historical man. He was thinking way ahead. He had posterity in mind:
How will they view what we’ve done? He was thinking in terms of not days and weeks,
but decades. He knew history was on his side, that the result was inevitable; it was just
a question of how soon and how it would be achieved. He always played for the long
run.

3. Lead from the back- and let others believe they are in front.
As a boy, Mandela was greatly influenced by Jongintaba, the tribal king who raised
him. When Jongintaba had meetings of his court, the men gathered in a circle, and only
after all had spoken did the king begin to speak. The chief's job, Mandela said, was not
to tell people what to do but to form a consensus. "Don't enter the debate too early," he
used to say.

Mandela often called meetings of his kitchen cabinet at his Houghton home. Some of
his colleagues would shout at him and Mandela would simply listen. When he finally
did speak at those meetings, he slowly and methodically summarized everyone’s points
of view and then unfurled his own thoughts, subtly steering the decision in the direction
he wanted without imposing it. The trick of leadership is allowing yourself to be led
too. It is wise to persuade people to do things and make them think it was their own
idea.

4. Know your enemy- and learn about his favourite sport.

As far back as the 1960s, Mandela began studying Afrikaans, the language of the white
South African, who created apartheid. Mandela wanted to understand the Afrikaner’s
worldview; he knew that one day he would be fighting them or negotiating with them,
and either way, his destiny was tied to theirs. He also learnt about Rugby, the sport of
the Afrikaners. This was a strategy in two senses: by speaking his opponent’s language,

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 he might understand their strengths and weaknesses and formulate tactics accordingly.
Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.

Mandela understood that blacks and Afrikaners had something fundamental in

common: Afrikaners believed themselves to be Africans as deeply as blacks did. He
knew, too, that Afrikaners had been the victims of prejudice themselves: the British
government and the white English settlers looked down on them. Afrikaners suffered
from a cultural inferiority complex almost as much as blacks did.

Mandela was a lawyer, and in prison he helped the warders with their legal problems.
They were far less educated and worldly than he, and it was extraordinary to them that
a black man was willing and able to help them. These were "the most ruthless and brutal
of the apartheid regime's characters," says Allister Sparks, the great South African
historian, and he "realized that even the worst and crudest could be negotiated with."

5. Keep your friends close-and your rivals even closer.

Mandela was a man of invincible charm-and he often used that charm to even greater
effect on his rivals than on his allies. Mandela believed that embracing his rivals was a
way of controlling them: they were more dangerous on their own than within his circle
of influence. He cherished loyalty, but he was never obsessed by it. Often he used to
say “people act in their own interest”. Mandela recognized that the way to deal with
those he did not trust was to neutralize them with charm.

Many of the guests Mandela invited to the house he built in Qunu were people whom,
he did not wholly trust. He had them to dinner; he called to consult with them; he
flattered them and gave them gifts. Mandela is a man of invincible charm — and he
often used that charm to even greater effect on his rivals than on his allies.

6. Appearances matter-and remember to Smile.

We sometimes forget the historical correlation between leadership and physicality.
George Washington was the tallest and probably the strongest man in every room he
entered. Size and strength have more to do with DNA than with leadership manuals,
but Mandela understood how his appearance could advance his cause. As leader of the
ANC's underground military wing, he insisted that he be photographed in the proper
fatigues and with a beard, and throughout his career he had been concerned about
dressing appropriately for his position.

George Bizos, his lawyer, remembers that he first met Mandela at an Indian tailor's
shop in the 1950s and that Mandela was the first black South African he had ever seen
being fitted for a suit. Latter Mandela's uniform was a series of exuberant-print shirts
that declare him the joyous grandfather of modern Africa. But more important was that
dazzling, beatific, all-inclusive smile.

When Mandela was running for the presidency in 1994, he knew that symbols mattered
as the ubiquitous ANC election poster was simply his smiling face. “The smile” says

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 Ramaphosa, “was the message”. After he emerged from prison, people would say, over
and over, it is amazing that he is not bitter. There are a thousand things Mandela was
bitter about, but he knew that more than anything else, he had to project the exact
opposite emotion. He always said, “Forget the past”- but I think he never did.

7. Nothing is black and white.

Mandela was comfortable with contradiction. As a politician, he was a pragmatist who
saw the world as infinitely nuanced. Much of this, came from living as a black man
under an apartheid system that offered a daily regimen of excruciating and debilitating
moral choices: Do I defer to the white boss to get the job I want and avoid a punishment?
Do I carry my pass?

Life is never either/or. Decisions are complex, and there are always competing factors.
To look for simple explanation is the bias of human brain, but it doesn’t correspond to
reality. Nothing is ever as straightforward as it appears. Many others tend to see things
in black and white.

As a statesman, Mandela was uncommonly loyal to Muammar Gaddafi and Fidel

Castro. They had helped the ANC when the U.S. still branded Mandela as a terrorist.
When asked about Gaddafi and Castro, he suggested that Americans tend to see things
in black and white. Every problem has many causes. While he was indisputably and
clearly against apartheid, the causes of apartheid were complex. They were historical,
sociological and psychological. Mandela's calculus was always, what is the end that I
seek, and what is the most practical way to get there?

8. Quitting is leading too.

Knowing how to abandon a failed idea, task or relationship is often the most difficult
of decision a leader has to make. In many ways, Mandela’s greatest legacy as President
of South Africa is the way he chose to leave it. When he was elected in 1994, Mandela
probably could have pressed to be president for life.

In the history of Africa, there have been only a handful of democratically elected leaders
who willingly stood down from office. Mandela was determined to set a precedent for
all who followed him — not only in South Africa but across the rest of the continent.
He would be the anti-Mugabe, the man who gave birth to his country and refused to
hold it hostage.

According to Ramaphosa, “his job was to steer the course, not to steer the ship”.
Sacrifice-real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.
Mandela would say: What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is
what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance
of the life we lead.

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Conclusion
When Mandela was asked: How did the man who emerged from prison differed from the wilful
young man who had entered it? He replied: I came out mature. As we mature in our leadership
roles, let us reflect on the words of Mandela: “There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and
many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before
we reach the mountain top of our desires”. “It is better to lead from behind and to put others in
front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line
where there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership”.

References
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Managerial Applications (3rd ed.). New York: Free Press.
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Foundation for Personal, Interpersonal and Organizational Success. Integrative Leadership
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Nelson Mandela: Inspirational Lessons. www.dream-it-plan-it-do-it.com
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (1994), Long Walk To Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson
Mandela, New York: Back Bay Books.
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Sompong Yusoontorn, Nelson Mandela: 8 Leadership Lessons. www.stinsondesign.com
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09, 2008.
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International Journal of Leadership Studies, Vol. 1, Issue 2:6-66.

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