Madiba, as the late Dr. Nelson Mandela was fondly known is no more with us, but he has left behind a leadership legacy, personal development pathways and life’s winning wisdom like no other in recent history. He was indeed a freedom fighter, but possibly best regarded as an inspirational and transformational leader. His strong personal values and exceptional leadership skills were of immense benefit in guiding South Africa through one of its most difficult stages before the first democratic elections of 1994 and also as a young democracy. But Mandela’s influence managed to extend beyond South Africa and the African continent. He was a world leader.
His life represented more than a selfless struggle for justice in Apartheid South Africa. It was his unwavering love and compassion for people of different classes, as well as his devotion to upholding human dignity, coupled with his uncommon courage, insight and wisdom that inspired so many people all over the world. But, without having a great vision of the kind of world that he wanted to see and live in, Mandela would probably have settled for what in his own eyes would be regarded as mediocrity. This is how Mandela put such feelings: “There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
One of the powers of coach leadership is the transformation that such leadership compels in the journey to fulfill the potential as an authentic leader, as well as the attainment of true success for the larger group. The compelling ingredients that bring about effectiveness and efficiency in such transformational leadership include the ability and will to see challenges as opportunities to be leveraged; the desire to continually improve the quality of knowledge, intellect and expertise; the ability and skills to integrate and manage people efficiently and effectively to focus on and achieve specific goals; as well as the urge to continually seek and lead the way in creating a sustainable future for others.
The leader’s ability to conceive, develop and communicate the greatest of visions is wonderful, but much more beneficial to the common good is the leader’s commitment to action in delivering on the vision. Action is what brings about the desired change process and signals the victory of superior values over indolence, conformity and every manifestation of weak leadership and inaction. Therein lies the unmistakable attribute of real leadership. It is based on the courage and confidence to act on your own conviction, while you remain committed to the course and consistent in action.
Personal insight is one of the four major territories of leadership. Without proper insight, leaders will lack foresight and hindsight, while depending merely on common sight to get along. Nelson Mandela, the man that the whole world has honoured as one of the greatest leaders of our generation has shown that personal insight is a non negotiable commodity in leadership. This is because leadership insight enables a person to see the world (the larger picture) more clearly, while being able to uncover current trends and anticipate what the future might hold.
It is personal insight that made Mandela to embrace, forgive and work with his jailers to create a better South Africa, where the kind of injustice, discrimination and oppression that he and others suffered will not take root ever again. These were his words: “We were expected by the world to self-destruct in the bloodiest civil war along racial grounds. Not only did we avert such racial conflagration, we created amongst ourselves one of the most exemplary and progressive nonracial and nonsexist democratic orders in the contemporary world.”
Mandela’s wisdom and insight freed not just himself and the people of South Africa, but also the people that jailed him. He said: “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison…If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.” Mandela was not a super human being, neither was he a saint, but he was truly visionary, hence his life and achievements would be celebrated for a long time to come.
If only many more people that are entrusted with leadership at various levels would learn and receive the wisdom that personal insight conveys, they would be able to achieve so much more and attain even greater heights of influence and impact. The framework of inspirational and transformational leadership is not really as complex as it appears. What is complex is the inability of many leaders to see beyond narrow interests, so that they can utilise the wisdom of insight, the benefits of hindsight and the grace of foresight to actualize great visions.
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By: Emmanuel Imevbore
