Nelson Mandela The Servant Leader

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Nelson Mandela: A Servant Leader

Servant leader is defined as a leader who believes in serving his or her followers rather than leading them. These kinds of leaders are very compassionate and ethical when it comes to treating other people. They tend to involve followers in decision making as for them, the followers’ well-being is most important. As servant leaders are concerned with the welfare of people, they make sure that people are provided the support and the help they require. Servant leaders are the ones who inspire others to achieve their dreams along with their own as they know the importance of ambitions. They themselves fulfill the ambitions of the common people as they are empathic to their needs. CITATION Lar10 \l 1033 (Spears)

There are different traits of leaders that make them a servant leader. Nelson Mandela is one name that is famous in the whole world due to the characteristics that he had. He fought for the rights and betterment of South African people. After being in prison for 27 years, he became the first black president of South Africa. He was the first to be elected by democracy. He is so loved by African people and most of the world that even after his death, he continues to be a legend.

Nelson Mandela is considered a servant leader due to the attributes of his leadership. It is one of the attributes of servant leaders that they are peacemakers and believe in forgiveness. Nelson Mandela was a very just and peaceful leader. Even after he got out of jail, he did not fight or go against the people who imprisoned him. Instead, he focused on serving people and forgave those who did him wrong. He had love and compassion for all the humans. He worked hard to unite the people in his country as he knew hating or being against their own people would only result in more suffering of the nation.

Mandela realized that the greatest issue, South Africa had been facing was of poverty. He formed his government with the purpose of working against poverty and took all the necessary measures that solved the problems of poor people. Empowerment of poor people of the country was his basic aim. He created many programs for this purpose. He listened and understood problems of the poor people because he was compassionate. He believed in building communities on a whole to ensure that all the people were treated equally.

Under his presidency, laws were developed that made sure that improvement would be brought in the working conditions of workers. Mandela worked tirelessly for ensuring equal opportunities and chances for the people regardless of race. As he was a victim of oppression himself, he made sure that people would not be oppressed by whites or blacks. He aimed to create a secure and free society in which people had a chance to express themselves openly without any constraints. He created a democratic society that aimed at accepting that every human’s dignity is important.

Mandela was a moral and ethical person who served even those people who were condemned by the society. For him, prisoners or patients with diseases, that were considered a taboo in those times, were equal. He did not treat any one of them differently and worked for them without distinguishing between them. Similarly, he worked a lot for the uplifting of students because he knew that they were the future of South Africa and the future success was in their hands. CITATION God13 \l 1033 (Maanga) Nelson Mandela is a servant leader because he possess all the qualities of a servant leader. He was compassionate, persuasive and trustworthy. He believed in serving others by using his personal experiences to provide welfare to the people.

Works Cited

BIBLIOGRAPHY Maanga, Godson S. "The relevance and legacy of Nelson Mandela in the twenty-first century Africa: An historical and theological perspective." African Journal of History and Culture (2013): 96-113. Document.

Spears, Larry C. "Character and Servant Leadership: Ten Characteristics of Effective, Caring Leaders ." The Journal of Virtues & Leadership (2010): 25-30. Document.