Running head: NELSON MANDELA - THE REVOLUTIONARY LEADER

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Nelson Mandela - The Revolutionary Leader
Thang Dat Quoc Le
Bristol University
Nelson Mandela, also affectionably knon as !Madiba" or !Tata", has left this orld in
Dece#ber $, %&'( after dedicating #ost of the years in his life for the sake of his country) *e
hu#ans have lost not only a great #an and a great leader for his country, but also a shining
NELSON MANDELA - THE REVOLUTIONARY LEADER
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e+a#,le of the kind of leadershi, e so des,erately need today) -e has left a huge ins,irational
vacuu#)
Nelson Mandela, a revolutionary leader as considered by #any ,eo,le, hel,ed organi.e
the fight against racis# and a,artheid in /outh 0frica 1Brink, '2234) Mandela observed
leadershi, at a young age hen atching 5hief 6ongintaba Dalindyebo, his guardian, su,ervising
tribal #eetings) The 5hief listened in 7uiet for days, never e+,osing his o,inion even after
hearing everyone8s o,inion) 0fter that, his guardian guided the grou, to reach an agree#ent)
Later, Mandela used this e+,erience to #old his leadershi, style 1/tengel, '2294:
!*hen you ant to get a herd to #ove in a certain direction," he said, !you stand at
the back ith a stick) Then a fe of the #ore energetic cattle #ove to the front and the
rest of the cattle follo) ;ou are really guiding the# fro# behind)" -e ,aused before
saying ith a s#ile, !That is ho a leader should do his ork" 1,)'4)
Mandela hel,ed to create the ;outh League of 0frican National 5ongress 10N5;L4,
hich organi.ed ,rotests, boycotts, ,etitions, and strikes to end a,artheid, and had greater
success than its ,arent organi.ation, the 0frican Nation 5ongress 10N54) Though, the increased
achieve#ents of the 0N5 #ade the govern#ent decide to use #ore violence against the
nonviolence ,rotesters) 0N5 as banned, and Mandela and other leaders reali.ed nonviolence
ould be no #ore effective and decided that the organi.ation had to continue underground,
hich resulted Mandela and other 0N5 leaders8 i#,rison#ent) 0fter #ore than tenty years in
,rison, Mandela decided it as ti#e to take #atters into his on hands and he #et ith the
/outh 0frican ,resident <) *) de =lerk to discuss his release and his desire to sitch the nation
NELSON MANDELA - THE REVOLUTIONARY LEADER
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to a de#ocracy) Mandela as successful, and u,on his release he as #ade the first de#ocratic
leader of /outh 0frica 1Brink, '2234)
Throughout his constant activities against a,artheid and establishing a de#ocratic /outh
0frica, Mandela ado,ted a de#ocratic leadershi, style) 0ccording to 6ohnson and 6ohnson
1%&&>4, !De#ocratic leaders set ,olicies through grou, discussion and decision, encouraging and
hel,ing grou, #e#bers to interact, re7uesting the coo,eration of others" 1,) '3%4)
?n conclusion, Nelson Mandela is not only one of the greatest ,atriots but also the #odel
of ,artici,ative and situational leaders) -is life as a revolutionary leader e#,oers and
#otivates others using his strong regard for the de#ocratic ,rocess)
NELSON MANDELA - THE REVOLUTIONARY LEADER
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References
Brink, 0) 1'2234) Nelson Mandela) Retrieved %&'9, fro#
htt,:@@)ti#e)co#@ti#e@ti#e'&&@leaders@,rofile@#andela)ht#l)
6ohnson, D)*), A 6ohnson, <)B) 1%&&>4) Joining together group theory and group skills (9th ed.).
Boston: Bearson Cducation, ?nc)
/tengel, R) 1'2294) The making of a leader) Retrieved %&'9, fro#
htt,:@@)ti#e)co#@ti#e@ti#e'&&@leaders@,rofile@#andelaDrelated)ht#l)