Applying Greenleaf’s Principles of Servant Leadership to Nelson Mandela Essay Assignment Paper
Applying Greenleaf’s Principles of Servant Leadership to Nelson Mandela Essay Assignment Paper
Introduction
Servant leadership is a timeless concept that was invented by Robert Greenleaf in the 1970s. According to Greenleaf, servant leadership has to start with a conscious choice and inspiration to lead. It shifts attention on the growth and well-being of individuals and their respective communities. Therefore, a servant leader embraces power sharing, prioritizes the needs of others and ensures that people grow effectively. Most leaders are well known for taking advantage of leadership positions for their own benefits which shouldn’t be the case since leadership should be considered to be a responsibility rather than an opportunity.
Greenleaf also highlighted that, in order for someone to be considered a servant leader, there are several qualities that he/she ought to possess. A major requirement is that a person should have a choice that is conscious and overpowers other selfish ambitions that come with possessing power. A perfect example of a political leader who follows this description is Nelson Mandela. This paper discusses the contributions of Nelson Mandela as a servant leader and how he applied the principles of servant leadership as the first president of South Africa. An explanation of the unique ways that Nelson Mandela inspired followership.
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About Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela was born in Umtata, a village called Mvezo in the year1918. He came from Thembu Royal tribe of South Africa, a tribe that was part of the Xhosa community which is the 2nd largest ethnic group in South Africa. He attended a local Methodist Christian School until when he was a youth. After the death of his father, his mother took him to live with a local Thembu chief who took care of him until his adulthood. It was at this time when he devoted himself to Christianity which inspired his growth as a lawyer and as a politician.
Summary of the Principles of Servant Leadership Employed By Nelson Mandela
Greenleaf mentioned ten principles that define a servant leader. He, however, emphasized that; a servant leader should be a person who focuses on the needs of the followers. Therefore, servant leaders should be able to not only empathize but also nurture their followers (Amah, 2019). The characteristics that he mentioned include; empathy, active listening, healing, conceptualization, persuasion, awareness, foresight, stewardship, commitment to people’s growth and building the community (Amah, 2019). Of these leadership characteristics, Nelson Mandela demonstrated to be empathetic, an active listener, a community builder, committed to people’s growth, stewardship, foresight and conceptualization (Baker & Baker, 2017).
Specific Examples to Illustrate Nelson Mandela’s Application of Servant Leadership Principles
He illustrated conceptualization when he looked ahead and clearly saw that the apartheid system of South Africa could not survive in the future. While in his prison cell, he strategized and assessed the moves that he could make and the possible reactions that could be anticipated. When Mandela was requested to support the government in exchange for his freedom, he preferred to fully serve his sentence as compared to acknowledging the prison of political apartheid (Chasi, 2017). His vision was entirely right since it didn’t take long before the withdrawal of the external world against South Africa as local leaders progressively pushed for domestic change. Applying Greenleaf’s Principles of Servant Leadership to Nelson Mandela Essay
He demonstrated a commitment to the growth of the people he led through his willingness to sacrifice his life for the well-being of South Africans. Despite harsh life in prison, he mustered the energy to challenge is keepers and the status quo. It is for this reason that Nelson Mandela’s presence on Robben Island mirrored the face of the leaders of apartheid (Whittington, 2017). Through his words, symbol and deeded, he managed to challenge the leadership system which had denied him liberty. It is because of his persistence and calling South Africans to action that democratic elections were eventually called for by Klerk in the year 1994. These elections saw Nelson Mandela become president in a transition that was very peaceful with a black majority rule Chasi, 2017).
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