5 Leadership Qualities of Nelson Mandela That Made Him Exceptional
What we can learn from a man who gave everything for his country
On the 5th of December 2013, at around 20:50 South African time, the great Nelson Mandela slept for the last time.
Regarded within South Africa as the father of the nation, and outside the world as a global icon, one can only marvel at the incredible feat he was able to achieve – not just for himself, but for the entire people of South Africa. He was indeed a great man.
But what made him so great? And why was he exceptional?
“Heroes are ordinary people who make themselves extraordinary.” – Gerard Way
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born on 18 July 1918 to Mr. Gadla Henry (a local chief), and Nosekeni Fanny, in the village of Mvezo in Umtata.
Little did he know that his name “Rolihlahla” – a Xhosa term colloquially meaning “troublemaker,” would have a significant role to play in his life.
After studying law at the University of Fort Hare and the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, he became heavily involved in anti-colonial politics.
And in 1943, he joined the African National Congress (ANC), co-founding its Youth League in 1944.
When the ruling South African National party – a white-only government, established a system of racial discrimination known as “apartheid,” he and the ANC dedicated themselves to its overthrow.
He quickly rose to prominence, winning the hearts of the black majority. He was, in fact, their voice.
While he was the president of the ANC’s Transvaal branch, he led a sabotage campaign against the government in 1962, for which he was arrested and imprisoned.
On 12 June 1964, Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment for conspiring to overthrow the state.
He served 27 years in prison but was later released in 1990 by President F. W. de Klerk, due to growing domestic and international pressures.
After his release, Mandela and de Klerk led efforts to negotiate an end to apartheid, which resulted in the 1994 multiracial general election – an election Mandela won and became the first black president of South Africa.
Mandela exhibited certain leadership traits that made him exceptional.
Let me briefly share 5 of them with you.
1. He Was Unafraid to Do What Was Necessary
When Nelson Mandela began the movement for freedom and liberation of the segregated black majority in South Africa, he often employed non-violent means. But when he saw that the ruling minority were unyielding, he looked towards the alternative.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that his approach was perfect, but it was necessary to cause a change.
And that was exactly what it did.
Sometimes, the necessary decisions you have to make as a leader may not be the desired or perfect one, but still, you have to make those decisions to propel change.
Mandela knew that doing this may cost him his life. But he was prepared nonetheless.
At the trial in Rivonia, he gave a three-hour speech that underlined this principle.
“I have dedicated my life to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all people will live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal for which I hope to live for and to see realized. But, My Lord, if it needs to be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
– Nelson Mandela (the concluding speech)
2. He Led With Empathy
Only a true leader understands the needs, thoughts, and feelings of his followers. “Understanding” here doesn’t necessarily mean you agree with their point of view. It means that you’re willing to see and appreciate things from the point of your followers.
Mandela felt the plight of his people. He saw how unfair they were treated. He understood their experiences. He led with empathy, and it inspired him to take action against the evil apartheid government.
Empathy is a difficult skill to master and maintain, but it is at the core of great leadership.
3. He Could Easily Communicate His Ideas to People
No doubt, Mandela was an effective communicator. He could easily get his message across to his followers clearly and concisely.
When he spoke, people, regardless of their social class, listened.
This goes back to his empathic nature. He was a man who spoke from his heart.
Yes, he spoke his mind, but he spoke his heart more often. And that is why the black people of South Africa believed in him.
Great leaders know that effective communication is a skill vital for establishing a strong relationship with their followers.
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. But if you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” – Nelson Mandela
4. He Maintained a Unique Level of Persistence
From the first day Nelson Mandela set up to fight the apartheid government, he knew he’d set himself up for something difficult. But he also knew that with hard work and persistence, he could achieve anything, no matter the challenge.
He knew that if he’d only persist for a while, everything will eventually work out perfectly. For the 27 years he remained in prison, he never stopped dreaming about a united South Africa. Persistence requires a lot of work and that’s why only a few leaders do so.
The idea of leadership loses its significance without persistence because it is at the core of success.
When mediocre leaders resist, great leaders, persist.
5. He Allowed People to Dream
Mandela operated and lived from a place of purpose.
He was able to show his people what he had been seeing. He communicated his dream in such a way that he allowed others to have no other option but to do the same.
Simon Sinek, the author of the amazing book “Start with why” – one of my favorite books, has this to say:
“Success is when reality catches up with your imagination.”
While he was still in prison, his people still had hope. They never stopped dreaming until it became a reality.
Another great leader that embodied this attribute was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I’m sure Mandela was inspired by his “I have a dream speech.”
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” – Simon Sinek
Final Thoughts
There would not be a South Africa as we know it today without the sacrifices of Nelson Mandela and his colleagues in the ANC. They were willing to give their lives for the dream of a united nation. And that, they did.
Mandela exemplified the qualities of a great leader. And anywhere his name is mentioned today, we will always remember the man who gave everything for his country.
“I was not a messiah, but an ordinary man who had become a leader because of extraordinary circumstances.” – Nelson Mandela
