Nelson Mandela

As Nelson Mandela asks in the movie(Invictus), “How do you get others to be better than they think they can be?”

This is to me, the way a leader thinks, A Leader has to lead the group by an example. He is mentor of the team. He facilitates interaction, understands situation, provides structure, exherts pressure for action, builds operational capacity, focuses on long term effectiveness, establishes direction, Inspires, motivates and guides the people, He facilitates change to achieve the desired results.

In movie Invictus, Nelson Mandela recognizes the tremendous challenges faced by his government in a land torn apart by apartheid. Racial tensions were at an all-time high, people were struggling with the effects of crippling unemployment, and a new black government has shifted the balance of political power. Mandela orchestrated the situation and used rugby world cup which was never his passion to reunite his country. He spotted the core problem that was psychological divide that the country was suffering at that point of time and very wisely used rugby world cup to bridge the gap and create harmony among people of his country.

In one of the scene in the movie President Mandela invites Pienaar to tea for their first meeting. As Mandela believes that he can achieve the unity that he planned for through rugby so he needed Pienaar's assistance to get the support of the Afrikaners. Pienaar was charmed by Mandela's personal style and warmth upon his arrival at the Government House. He also observed that Mandela treated everyone around him with great respect, even the lady who served them tea.

In this movie, Mandela skillfully demonstrates his people-oriented leadership style. For instance, even on his first day in office as the newly-elected President of South Africa, he showed great courtesy to all his staff, blacks and whites, by greeting and smiling at everybody whom he passed by on his way to his suite. This earned him great respect from all staff, especially the white Afrikaners who thought they would be sacked once a black leader assumed office.

Mandela also decided to maintain the former white staff and build an administrative team of both the groups. The same also applies to his security staff. In order to lead by example and to achieve the unity he had long planned for, he believes that his team must reflect his vision.

In the end I can say only one thing that Nelson Mandela, also known by his clan name Madiba, was one of the greatest leaders because he gave people a long-term vision that infused their lives with meaning; which pointed them all in a new direction.