Nelson Mandela’s Leadership Essay

In a raci every last(predicate)y divided southmost Africa, Nelson Mandela emerged as a cracking draw. He joined the African National congress (ANC) to lead a movement whose main goal is to eondicate apartheid. (Racial separation). He put upd peaceful protests to meet that goal however, when the feeling party banned the ANC, he set a military wing within the ANC to moot the justification against the Apartheid to a new level where he had no choice new(prenominal) than using violence.His actions landed him in prison for nearly ternary decades. He led secret negotiations with the ruling party while he was in prison aimed at dismantling the apartheid policies. Such negotiations, which resulted in his release in 1990, went on years later to bring an end to Apartheid. In 1994, he became the first black president of reciprocal ohm Africa, forming a multiethnic politics to oversee the provinces transition to a new era of democracy (1).In 1999, he decided to retire from politic s, but has non retired yet from promoting peace and social justice in southwest Africa as well as around the world. So, Nelson Mandela stood out as a great leader due to his leadership ways, his charismatic leadership, ethical leadership and his leadership power. leading attitudes and styles of Nelson MandelaNelson Mandela developed a strong relationship-oriented behavior, which contributed to his participative leadership style (2). He learned from his guardian, when he was observing him presiding over tribal meetings, to listen to apiece(prenominal) sides of argument before venturing his opinion. It was his firsthand experience of how to lead from shadower (9). He always remembers the regents axiom. He said A leader is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the roughly nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, non realizing that all along they be being directed from behind.(Long walk to freedom3). Mandelas leadership success is attributed to his exp enditure of consensus.He shake his pursuit and gained their commitment to fight in the rice beer of abolishing apartheid when he was the leader of the ANC. He used the same participative leadership as president by forming a multiethnic government that includes the people who pain him for 27 years. Throughout his battle against apartheid and helping to bring democracy to South Africa, Mandela adopted a democratic leadership style. According toJohnson and Johnson (2006), Democratic leaders set policies through conference discussion and decision, encouraging and helping group members to interact, requesting the cooperation of others (4).Mandela believed in the value of the democratic process, even though he did not always initially agree with the results. Some of his unsuccessful pursuits included when he tried during his imprisonment to have prisoners addressed more considerfully by guards, and later when he attempted to have the national voting age lowered to 14 (4). Charismatic leadershipNelson Mandela influential power stems largely from his charismatic leadership characterized by a compelling imagination for the future, his forgetingness to restitution a risk for the sake of the well-being of his country, and the sense of forgiveness he demonstrated towards his enemy. Nelson Mandela was a visionary leader who articulated an idealized vision of a future that is significantly better than the present. He envisioned a South Africa where apartheid would finally abolished and everyone should live without worrying to be discriminated against based on race or color. It was this vision of a free and democratic South Africa that sustained him through the darkest days in prison.The same vision has changed the political science in South Africa and made him the first black president of South Africa. Due to the same vision South Africa became the first African country to host the world soccer cup in 2010. He stimulate people by his courage and passion.Mandela k new that the risk he was taking was enormous, and the consequences could be devastating to him as well to the well-being of his family. He took the risk of vista a military wing within the ANC to combat the oppressive regime knowing that he will be the first one that the ruling party would target After becoming a president in 1994, he decided to forgive the people who tortured him for nearly three decades. Through this act, he demonstrated the the kind of charismatic qualities he possessed. .Mandela acquired the respect and love of many citizens upon his release from prison, as it was inspiring to the nation that soul could emerge from such hardship and humiliation and talk of forgiveness and reconciliation with the enemies who causedsuffering (5). He used his servant leadership style to promote peace outside South Africa he promoted reconciliation over retribution to pave the way for progress and prosperity in the neighboring Africancountries. (6) Ethical leadershipMandela had strong ethical values through having a heart and soul of leadership by consistently promoting peaceful protests kinda resorting to violence. From an early age, he was inspired to study law with the intention of defend black South Africans against the ruling partys unfair sermon. Nelson Mandela as a lawyer voluntarily represented many detainees under the ANC. (Denenberg, 1995). (7) Leadership powerSpecialized skills and knowledge gave Mandela expert power to be an influential figure. He graduated with law degree and huge political experiences gained when he was the leader of ANC. He utilized his knowledge to communicate with others prisoners who viewed him as a reference for any course of action within the prison such as hunger strike to get better living conditions.(8)Also, Mandela inspired his followers by utilizing referent power, which was closely linked to his traits of trustworthiness and integrity. With his receive lofty personality of charismatic leader, skills and knowle dge, Mandela become a famous figure, which brought him a prestige power that he uses to promote social justice all over the world such as raising charities to overcome the poverty. shutdownNelson Mandela lived up to his quotation when he said it is better to lead from behind and to put others in front line, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is a danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership. Its clear that Mandela stood in favor of involving his followers in the decision making process.He was always endeavored to listen to what each person has to say before he gives his opinion, which is often a consensus of what he heard in the conversation. Thats how he led from behind. He took the front and put his life as well as the life of his family at risk to free the black South African from the oppression of a white minority regime. Because he understood that unless that risk is taken, the unfair treatment against the n ative South African will continue forever.Works Cited5- top Clinton & Archbishop Desmond TuTu, 2006, Mandela The authorized portrait, Andrews Mcmeel Publishing, Kansas City 1-Denenberg, Barry. Nelson Mandela No easy walk to freedom. New York scholastic Inc, 2005. Print. 6- Denenberg, Barry. Nelson Mandela No easy walk to freedom. New York Scholastic Inc, 2005. Print 3-Johnson, D.W., & Johnson, F.P. (2006). fall in together group theory and group skills (9th Ed.). Boston Pearson Education, Inc. 8-le, thai. leadership style Nelson Mandela Vs. Adolf Hitler. Articlecell. Articlecell,n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2013. 7-Mandela, N (1965) No Easy Walk to Freedom. Penguin Books Ltd, London, England. 2-Nelson Mandela Biography. Nobelprize.org. 27 Mar 2013 http//www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1993/mandela-bio.html 4-Stengel, Richard. Mandela His 8 Lessons of leadership.Time.com. N.p. 09 July.2008.Web. 25 Mar. 2013.