Nelson Mandela proclaimed, “If you have an objective in life,
then you want to concentrate on that and not engage in fighting with your
enemies. You want to create an atmosphere where you can move everybody toward
the goal you have set for yourself” (Kreuger & Says, 2014).
According to the Nelson Mandela Biography (2016), Nelson Mandela was born on July 18, 1918 and died on December 5, 2013. Mandela lived a long and inspiring life. Throughout his life, Nelson Mandela was a Civil Rights Activist, the first black president of South Africa in the year 1994, and he was also a writer (Nelson Mandela, 2016). In 1942, Mandela joined the African National Congress (Nelson Mandela, 2016). While a part of the African National Congress, he directed a campaign of peaceful, nonviolent defiance against the racist policies of the South African government (Nelson Mandela, 2016). He was imprisoned for 27 years and during this time, his reputation continued to grow (Nelson Mandela, 2016). Upon release, Mandela submerged himself into bringing peace to South Africa's black majority (Nelson Mandela, 2016). Nelson Mandela was an excellent example of global peacemaking. Together in 1993, Mandela and President de Klerk were awarded the Novel Peace Prize for their work toward disassembling apartheid (Nelson Mandela, 2016).
Nelson Mandela is an excellent example of a servant leader. According to Kreuger and Says (2014), Mandela is best known for his efforts to end apartheid, a racial system that separated groups of individuals by race and also deprived people of color from a full citizenship. By joining the African National Congress, he became a servant leader to his community. As mentioned before, Mandela led a campaign of peaceful, nonviolent defiance against the racist policies made by South African government (Nelson Mandela, 2016). Mandela fought for what mattered most to him. A couple of traits that Mandela held which allowed him to live into the vocation of a servant leader were that he was a consensus builder and was also very open. By being a consensus builder, Mandela's agreeableness was clear to everyone through his ability to be accepting and nurturing to every single person around him (Kreuger & Says, 2014). An example of this is that during his imprisonment, Mandela was known to care for those around him who were sick or wounded (Kreuger & Says, 2014). During a time that most would have feelings of despair, hostility, and bitterness, Mandela stayed strong to his character. He did not let his imprisonment change him. Nelson Mandela was also very open. His openness allowed him to see through the differences and discrimination that were apparent of his time (Kreuger & Says, 2014). For example, his insightful creativity and commitment to his cause brought with it a dedicated following. He used his openness to campaign against the racist policies being made.
Nelson Mandela stated, “As a leader, I have always followed the principles I first saw demonstrated by the regent at the Great Palace. I have always endeavored to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to say before venturing my own opinion. Oftentimes, my own opinion will simply represent a consensus of what I heard in the discussion. I always remember the regent’s axiom: a leader, he said, is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind" (Kreuger & Says, 2014). This quote is the perfect summary of his role as a servant leader.
(http://www.blackpast.org/files/blackpast_images/mandela_nelson.jpg)
For further information on Nelson Mandela and his role as a servant leadership, here are some extra websites to check out:
http://futureconsiderations.com/2013/12/leadership-lessons-from-nelson-mandela/
References
Krueger, B. C., & Says, E. C. (2014, January 24). Home. Retrieved January 31, 2017, from https://sites.psu.edu/leadership/2014/01/24/leadership-traits-in-nelson-mandela/
Nelson Mandela. (2016, May 25). Retrieved January 31, 2017, from http://www.biography.com/people/nelson-mandela-9397017#prison-release-and-presidency
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://calebstorkey.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Nelson-Mandela-Speech-Education-Prison-Youth-Timeline-Biography-Apartheid-Face-Quotes.png
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.blackpast.org/files/blackpast_images/mandela_nelson.jpg
