Leadership Model of Nelson Mandela - Essay Example

The years in prison taught him to be well-organized and balanced. Another thing that I learned from him is that life never presents an either/or situation and as a leader, one should learn to deal with contradiction (Stengel).

3. The values that I believe are inherently required to achieve my life aims are honesty and commitment. I feel that these two values can help me make my way to the top. I assume that I will always remain motivated and enthusiastic about achieving my goals and improving myself consistently. My beliefs center on the notion that whatever work I perform, I need to give it my best. There is no compromise on quality and I believe that one must work hard to produce the optimum results. My expectations from myself would be to respect the norms and ethos of my profession and to perform well wherever I go. I would also expect myself to generate a proportionate work-life balance.

4. I believe that even if a person does not have intrinsic leadership qualities, he or she can develop them by understanding the mentality and thinking of employees. The golden rule is to treat a person in the same way you expect yourself to be treated. So putting oneself in his/her employees’ shoes, one can consider the various aspects that drive good performance. Also, by believing in this golden rule a leader can ensure that he/she is not insensitive to the needs of the employees. Leading people also means being able to manage them well, delegating their responsibilities according to their competence while also allowing them to grow and improve. Most importantly one must know oneself as a leader to be able to lead people well (Hiam 51). This is a quality that I have learned from Nelson Mandela himself, who was able to lead people well because he knew himself as a leader.

5. One of the signs of being a good leader is that employees are satisfied. Subordinates expect their leader to pay them respect and to give them tasks that they can perform. Also, they expect the leader not to burden them and to understand the issues when they cannot perform a job right. Subordinates also require leaders to listen to their problems and provide solutions and encourage and reward them if they are doing a good job (Daft and Marcic 391). People expected Nelson Mandela to deliver the promises that he had made and to bring about a difference. As a leader, I think that people can expect me to stay true to my words and work hard to achieve what I have promised them.

6. Considering myself as a leader, I expect my subordinates to communicate with me openly when they have problems and to be honest in their work. I do not want them to make excuses; instead, I would expect them to tell me their issues openly. I also want my employees to perform the task that they have been assigned with responsibility and efficiency and to respect me too. Support, respect, and commitment are the biggest expectations that a leader can have from his people. As was the case with Nelson Mandela that despite the opposition that he faced, he had the support of his followers which allowed him to become the symbol of liberation in South Africa.

7. I can set an example for my people by being who they expect me to be if the expectations are not in conflict with my work ethos. Also, I do not want my followers to be scared of me or to speculate how I will respond to a certain happening. For this, I need to communicate my expectations openly and create a comfortable yet accountable relationship with the employees (Witt). Nelson Mandela followed the same strategy and it was through his mature, persuasive, and comprehensive way of communication that he was able to establish a democratic state. I would want to create an environment where my subordinates feel encouraged, respected, and motivated to achieve goals (Daft and Lane 348). Read More