Introduction
Nelson Mandela was the former President of South Africa, a fighter for equality and prosperous international relations around the world. He was a political leader who motivated and inspired people. His life cannot be called simple, but it made him able to lead people. The presidentship of Nelson Mandela brought about a global change that especially positively affected the black population of South Africa.
Early Years of Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela’s childhood passed in a poor family, he was the first in the family to go to school, and in his early years, he lost his father. In his teenage years, Mandela was already interested in equality issues and studied law at the university (Nelson Mandela biography, 2021). The movement toward the goal of delivering this value to the people began in the early years of the life of Nelson Mandela.
Reformational Presidentship of Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela was always an inspirational leader who led people on the basis of trust, belonging to them, and the absence of authoritarianism. Mandela always positioned himself as a simple person and possessed developed social values, deep humanity, and faith in his country. Nelson Mandela became South Africa’s first black president in 1993 (Nelson Mandela biography, 2021). As a president, he has become a tremendous inspiration for many people from all over the world, as he represented an entire era for the development of equality and political wisdom at the global level. Mandela was one of the first political leaders and presidents who were able to set up political relations between very different countries.
Some of them were poor, some were rich, and each of them had completely different levels of influence. As president, Mandela developed and reformed the constitution, strengthened the economy and the country’s position in the international arena, and increased national cohesion in various areas including sports (Nelson Mandela biography, 2021). Nelson Mandela was involved in the development of many directions at once.
Anti-Apartheid Movement by Nelson Mandela
Mandela pioneered the anti-apartheid movement and helped to build relations of justice and humanity in Africa towards completely different people. He resolved conflicts precisely by peaceful means. He was an excellent speaker, negotiator and undisputed leader. Since 1962, Mandela spent more than 20 years in prison for crimes that were called political. Further, in 1993, he received the Nobel Prize for his achievements and personal contributions to the fight against the apartheid movement (Nelson Mandela biography, 2021). Due to the steadfastness and tenacity of Nelson Mandela people in South Africa started receiving equal opportunities.
Leadership Style
Mandela’s democratic leadership style combined affiliation and motivation. He knew how to maintain the spirit, cheer up and set the right mood. In 1952, the first law firm was opened, headed by a black Nelson Mandela and his friend. In this firm, Nelson Madela performed as a role model showing that even with certain skin color it is possible to achieve success in a career and other areas of life. He instilled in people hope and confidence that everyone has equal opportunities and a chance to change their lives and the lives of people around them. He served as the national secretary of the African Youth League, and as the general secretary of the Non-Aligned Movement from 1998 to 1999 (Manikandan, 2019). Therefore, Mandela was directly involved in the initiation of reform policies.
Mandela was able to stimulate people’s inspiration so that they applied their best qualities to the desire to achieve the common goal of equality (Brandt, 2020). The dominant characteristics of his leadership principle were strong ethical principles, defined values, and strong message delivery through communication. Much attention was paid to creating a comfortable and trusting atmosphere.
Nelson Mandela was always respected in both developed and underdeveloped countries during his reign, as he managed to eliminate racial boundaries in relation to people in South Africa. His example inspired many, as after spending more than 27 years in prison and going through many trials, he retained faith and hope for the best. It was he who led the struggle for equal rights for black and white people in Africa, so that each of them, regardless of this, could claim equal treatment, position, opportunities, and material wealth (Naidoo, 2018). Nelson Mandela’s tenacity and faith in justice helped to break the inequality system that has existed for many years.
Use of Leadership Qualities
Nelson Mandela was one of those leaders and historical figures who cannot be criticized due to the fact that any actions he performed were only associated with the goal of equal rights that he saw in front of him, and which was humanistic. It is quite possible that Nelson Mandela could have done more by running for a second presidential term in 1999, however, for personal reasons, he did not apply for this post and stopped his active political activities.
Nelson Mandela made excellent use of his strengths, such as the ability to build trusting communication with his followers. Moreover, he was supported not only by the inhabitants of his country but also became an important figure in the international political arena (Naidoo, 2018). Mandela’s contribution to the development of South Africa as a free, equal, and democratic state cannot be underestimated.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Nelson Mandela was a unique political leader who, without aggression, was able to build trusting relationships not only with the people of his country but also with other countries. He carried out the elimination of the apartheid system, thus changing the lives of many people. He went through a difficult path in life but retained the attitude and perseverance in achieving his goals, and the goals of the people of his country.
References
Nelson Mandela biography (2021) Biography. Web.
Brandt, T. (2020). Book review of snapshots of great leadership. Journal of Business Ethics Education, 17, 211-214. Web.
Manikandan, K. (2019). The sacrifice of Nelson Mandela in the liberation of the Blacks from the clutches of slavery. Language in India, 3(19), 86-89. Web.
Naidoo, K. (2018). Tracing gender in the personal, familial and socio-political history of Nelson Mandela. African Journal of Development Studies, 8(2), 47-66. Web.