Over the past two days, many have written their own takes on
what Nelson Mandela meant to them, to his country, to his people and to the
world. To me, the greatest legacy was
his leadership.
He never lost sight of his vision. No matter how great the obstacles or how
difficult the trials he held to his belief that no human being should have to
live under oppression. His belief in the
vision was so strong that even as he endured imprisonment and brutality, he
moved positively forward toward realizing the future he sought.
He worked to build trust.
He didn’t seek revenge for those who tried desperately to break him, his
people and the movement. He didn’t use
the majority to subjugate the minority. Instead
he demonstrated trust by working with them toward the equality and unity he
held so dear.
Most of all, he thought first of the people. He didn’t seek power and control. He sought to eliminate it. He served the people and they made him their
leader. As in all cases, the leader
becomes a leader only because the followers choose to follow.
Mandela
was great in many ways and these three basic approaches to leadership can stand
out for us all. The beauty of this
legacy is that Mandela used these traits to lead a county out of apartheid. Any “would be” leader can use the same tactics
to take a team, group or organization from dysfunction to a new and brighter
future.
