Nelson Mandela, the name of a charismatic leader who spent 27 years in jail to bring down the injustice and oppression from South Africa. He was an anti-apartheid revolutionary activist and became the first black president of South Africa in 1984. His followers and the people of South Africa called him “Madiba,” which means father. Mandela received more than 250 awards along with Noble Prize in peace. He is considered one of the most influential leaders with his strong values and style. He only worked for the betterment of his people and never hesitated to sacrifice.
Leadership Qualities – Style, Traits and Skills of Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela had some powerful and impactful leadership qualities. Here’re we present some of those qualities.
- He always spoke the truth: Everyone expects accuracy and validity from a leader, and Nelson Mandela was just like that. He never lied even if the truth hurt his own followers. During the clash between Zulu Inkatha and ANC supporters, he didn’t put all the blame to the opposition party. He firmly accepted that his followers are engaged in murder and violence. Mandela was known for preaching truth no matter how bitter that was.
- He was a unifier: Although Mandela is known for his fight for black people’s rights, when he became the president of South Africa, he worked to make a unity amongst white, black, and other minorities. He said that he’s the president of everyone; his fight is against the oppression, not a particular race. He wanted to ensure peace, and he believed only unity could bring that.
- He always sacrificed: A leader never hesitates to sacrifice for the betterment of his people and reach a goal. Nelson Mandela was exactly like that. He imprisoned himself for 27 years when he was young, and he could’ve done something else to use those precious periods. Even though he had the chance to be free, he chose to sacrifice for these people.
- He was an eager learner: Mandela never underestimated the power of knowledge. He believed it opens new doors for a man, and a man must explore those to move forward in life. His time in prison wasn’t pleasing at all, but he still managed to read lots of books and continued his legal education. Even in later life, he never felt ashamed to learn from his followers or anyone. He was always humble.
- He was a positive thinker: It takes a lot of patience to struggle and face numerous challenges while also having a positive mindset. He knew negativity doesn’t have the power to bring change, but his main goal was to change society. That’s why no matter what kind of situation arose, Mandela was never seen to possess negativity.
Leadership Style of Nelson Mandela
Mandela was a powerful and influential leader. He had lots of admirable leadership qualities that are still gets recommended by others. And when it comes to his leadership style, it can be said that Nelson Mandela followed the Transformational Leadership Style. Transformational because he believed and determined to bring among his people and the nation. And that’s why he adopted to different situation and constantly changed himself to cope-up with those situations. Also, he cared for his followers. All his life, everything he did only for his people. But he had his own vision and never felt reluctant to say whatever he believed. He tended to stand by his principles.
Leadership Traits of Nelson Mandela
A leader distinct himself from others with his leadership traits. Here are some important characteristics of Mandela.
- Endurance: Those horrified and struggling 27 years of imprisonment of Nelson Mandela still amaze the whole world. Because it’s beyond imagination how much tolerance a person has had in himself to survive all those years with constant mental and physical torture. But Mandela made that possible because of his enormous enduring power.
- Compassionate: Nelson Mandela is known as one of the most compassionate person. His heart was filled with kindness and forgiveness. He always forgave everyone, his friends, families, strangers, and even his enemies. He didn’t think twice before forgiving his prison cell officer, who made him suffer a lot. He left a legacy of reconciliation and forgiveness.
- Ethical: Nowadays, many of the leaders run for power, money, and fame. They sometimes don’t hesitate to adopt mean and unethical ways to achieve what they want. But Mandela never walked that path. He wanted to make the world a better place and never really cared about material things. He was an ethical activist, a moral president all over his life.
- Inspirational: A true leader is the one who has the power to motivate and inspire his followers no matter how impossible the goal seems. Mandela’s journey wasn’t comfortable, and people never believed that he would ever be successful, mainly when he was in jail for a long time. But even in his imprisonment period, he made his followers believe in himself and their fight. He never let them feel discouraged. He kept inspiring himself and his people.
Other leadership traits and characteristics of Nelson Mandela are:
- Optimist
- Challenger
- Aligner
- Integrity
- Creative-visionary
- Observers
- Listener
- Courageous
- Passionate
- Perspective
Leadership Skills of Nelson Mandela
The skills of a leader make him more persuasive and influential in performing his duties. Here’re some leadership skills of nelson Mandela.
- Public Speaker: Nelson Mandela was an excellent and charismatic public speaker. He had immense power in his words. He knew how to interpret and send messages in a way so that people of every corner understand his terms and feel the power. Many of his speeches are still gets admired by people worldwide.
- Conflict Negotiator: Mandela spent most of his life in resolving and negotiating conflicts. And he fantastically played that role. He knew how to win people’s words and come into an agreement where both the parties get benefited.
- Diversified: Nelson Mandela taught people about diversity than anyone else. He was a man of diversity. He used this knowledge and perception in every decision and work of his life. He always thought about all the people as a whole irrespective of their gender, race, color, and ethnicity. He may have fought for a few specific groups, but he worked for all.
Bottom Line
We know Nelson Mandela as a charismatic leader, the first black president, and an influencer. But above all these things, he was a human. He loved to think of himself only as humans. And that’s why he chose a simple life even if he could’ve to lead a luxurious one. Nelson Mandela is still alive in this world through his legacy of simplicity, endurance, and kindness.
Related: Leadership Qualities, Skills and Style of Jack Ma Yun
References
- https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/15-leadership-lessons-mandela
- https://raywilliams.ca/why-nelson-mandela-was-a-great-leader/
- https://www.nelsonmandela.org/news/entry/head-and-heart-the-lessons-of-leadership-from-nelson-mandela
- http://www.josephchris.com/5-nelson-mandela-leadership-style-secrets
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinandjackiefreiberg/2018/07/19/madiba-leadership-5-lessons-nelson-mandela-taught-the-world-about-change/#3db9e4d141ba
- https://www.sacap.edu.za/blog/management-leadership/nelson-mandela-leadership-style/
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