Mandela and his lessons of leadership

Nelson Mandela, the man who liberated a country from a system of violent prejudice and helped unite white and black, oppressor and oppressed, in a way that had never been done before, a man who spent 27 long years in prison for a cause so close to his heart, a man whose fire to fight injustice still lies unextinguished., a man who was able to gather the support and sympathy of the nation as he fought for a cause...  He gave the world a few traits, which he believes are important for a leader to have or develop

1.       Courage is not the absence of fear — it's inspiring others to move beyond it:  Mandela was often afraid during his time underground, but he would pretend and, through the act of appearing fearless, inspire others. Prisoners who were with him said watching Mandela walk across the courtyard, upright and proud, was enough to keep them going for days. He knew that he was a model for others, and that gave him the strength to triumph over his own fear.

2.       Lead from the front — but don't leave your base behind: When he initiated his negotiations with the government, his oppressors, in 1985, there were many who thought he had lost it. Then Mandela launched a campaign to persuade the ANC that his was the correct course. Slowly and deliberately, he brought them along. "You take your support base along with you,"

3.       Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front: When ever Mandela spoke at meetings, he slowly and methodically summarized everyone's points of view and then unfurled his own thoughts, subtly steering the decision in the direction he wanted without imposing it. “The trick of leadership is allowing yourself to be led too.” He said

4.       Know your enemy — and learn about his favorite sport: As far back as the 1960s, Mandela began studying Afrikaans, the language of the white South Africans who created apartheid. His comrades in the ANC teased him about it, but he wanted to understand the Afrikaner's worldview; he knew that one day he would be fighting them or negotiating with them, and either way, his destiny was tied to theirs.