8 Lessons in Leadership From Nelson Mandela
Leadership lessons for creating really good trouble.
by David Zinger
Miki Saxon wrote a post on Richard Stengel’s article on Mandela’s 8 Lessons of Leadership. Miki stated: if you don’t take time to click and read the entire text you’ll be doing yourself and those around you a major disservice. I believe in service so I was challenged to read the detailed article and very happy that I did.
Stengel concluded the article with the following statement:
The man who walked onto Robben Island in 1964 was emotional, headstrong, easily stung. The man who emerged was balanced and disciplined. He is not and never has been introspective. I often asked him how the man who emerged from prison differed from the willful young man who had entered it. He hated this question. Finally, in exasperation one day, he said, “I came out mature.” There is nothing so rare — or so valuable — as a mature man.
Here are the first 7 lessons:
- Courage is not the absence of fear—it’s inspiring others to move beyond it
- Lead from the front—but don’t leave your base behind
- Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front
- Know your enemy—and learn about his favorite sport
- Keep your friends close—and your rivals even closer
- Appearances matter—and remember to smile
- Nothing is black or white
Like Miki, I encourage you to read the whole article. To encourage you to do that I have purposefully left number 8 out so that you will go and read the article by clicking here.
Photo Credit: tribute to Mandela by http://flickr.com/photos/observatoryleak/436392502/
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POSTED IN: management
3 opinions for 8 Lessons in Leadership From Nelson Mandela
Miki
Jul 19, 2008 at 1:47 pm
David, thanks for bringing this to your readers attention.
David Zinger
Jul 20, 2008 at 4:27 am
Miki:
Thank you for bringing this to my attention and encouraging us to read the article. Excellent.
David
Alex Steed [of Make Something Happen]
Jul 24, 2008 at 8:27 am
David -
Thanks so much for your leadership words of wisdom - Or for the recap. It was good to come across it.
A while back we covered a speech by former Maine Gov. Angus King. He taught a lesson to high school sophomores on leadership by using Joshua Chamberlain as a model. The kids were totally riveted:
http://makesomethinghappen.net/2008/05/16/pioneer-of-student-laptop-program-gov-angus-king-speaks-on-leadership/
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