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Nelson Mandela's leadership was characterized by a rare combination of humility and strength. He often used the metaphor of a shepherd: 'He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind. ' He believed that a true leader listens more than he speaks and seeks consensus through reconciliation rather than domination. Mandela teaches that leadership is about service to the collective, not the glorification of the individual.
"To lead from the front, you must first understand the needs of those behind you."
"You sharpen your ideas by reducing yourself to the level of the people you are with."
"One of the things I learnt when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others."
"Quitting is leading too."
"I like friends who have independent minds because they tend to make you see problems from all angles."
"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."
"Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people."
"Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front."
"It always seems impossible until it's done."
"A leader... is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead."
"I was not a messiah, but an ordinary man who had become a leader because of extraordinary circumstances."
"A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination."
"It is in your hands, to make a better world for all who live in it."
"One of the things I learned when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others."
"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."
Seeing how Nelson Mandela approaches Leadership helps you apply the idea with more precision.
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"Use this collection whenever you need Nelson Mandela's lens on Leadership."