Dr Gustav Gous with Mandela
Mandela, Nelson Mandela’s Grandson &
chief of the Madiba tribeDr Gustav Gous Nelson Mandela Tribute: Call to action to honour his Legacy.........
Nelson Mandela had a Long Walk to Freedom and a short time for leadership.
But in that short time, he did not only create a future for all South Africans, but
impacted the world. To honour his legacy we must try to decipher his secret
and move from being funeral spectators to become actors, following his lead.
What is the Mandela secret? How did it happen that he is held in higher esteem
than any other political leader in present day history? What made him the next
level leader towering above other good leaders? Dictators get whole
populations to serve them, bad leaders rig elections just to cling to power to
serve their own interests. They even use money and resources of the state to
enrich themselves. Good leaders really try to serve their own people – but it
remains ‘us’ versus ’them. But excellent, next level leaders, such as Nelson Mandela, try to create a future for all, not
only for their own kind.
To be a ‘next-level’-leader like Mandela, you must understand and live the Mandela secret. The secret of Mandela lays
interestingly enough in (i) the fact that he really was a free man. Not only politically free, or freed from prison. Yes, he
had a Long Walk to Freedom (title of his autobiography) - being released after 27 years in prison. But he was already a
free man in prison. His real freedom lay in the fact that he was free from hatred, the bondages of the past, and the
negative residual of personal pain that was inflicted on him and free from vengeance.
All of this was possible because he embraced the concept of forgiveness. Because of this he could lead in a pro-active
way, not a re-active way. He did not try to get back at people or get even, but moved beyond that to even embrace
the very people who imprisoned him. (ii) Because he didn’t carry any baggage, he could do the extraordinary. Ordinary
people love their neighbour (their own kind). Extraordinary people also love their enemies.
In this regard Nelson Mandela, a Methodist Christian, followed the lead of
his leader, Jesus Christ, who preached 2000 years ago that we must love
our neighbours AND love our enemies. Only ’next level leaders’ can do this.
They are a rare breed. In South Africa we call these kinds of leaders
‘rainmakers’ – they bring good things to all people under the sun. (ii) A third
aspect is that Nelson Mandela was willing to change his mind (his
paradigms) about issues as he went along. He wasn’t dogmatic but rather
pragmatic. He had the wisdom and discernment to know when to stand fast
(fight) and when to give way (make peace).
How can we honour his legacy? Be inspired by Nelson Mandela’s life well
lived, we must act: First be transformed, and then lead to transform.
- First transform yourself: Identify your own prisons and walk free.
- Then transform the world as a free pro-active leader.
The greatest favour you can do to yourself, the people around you and the
world is to become baggage free. Name your own prisons. Then break free.
The most important prisons to break free from are: prejudice, paradigms
(political, business, ideological, etc.), personal pain, the past, habits (even
addictions), fundamentalism, greed, negative thinking, etc.
Use your position to make the world a better place. In doing so, Mandela’s
death will not only stir up emotion but also result in action. Nelson Mandela
had a long walk to freedom - you too must do your personal ‘short’ walk to
freedom. This is in my mind the best way to honour his legacy because only
free leaders can lead people to a better place.
Read my full blog on this topic: http://gustavgous.blogspot.com/2013/06/call-to-action-nelson-mandelas-life-and.html
Dr Gustav Gous CSP, PhD is a founding member of the Professional Speakers Association of South Africa and National
President 2009 to 2010. Based in Pretoria, Dr Gous heads up Short Walk Seminars Pty Ltd staging ‘Short Walk to
Freedom’ Leadership Programs on Robben Island (Cape Town) where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 18 of his
27 years. Contact details: [email protected] or phone +278 2565 7451 or visit http://www.gustavgous.co.za