Sometimes however he was not feeling well. Conditions were very hard, so disheartenment used to come to him and he would think of not going out, just stay at his cell. But the idea of his inmates not seeing him even for one day... not getting what they could get from him... that idea would move him out of his cell, to the open small space where he used to walk.
The consequences of that leadership would be legendary, if it is not history: he became one day president of that same country. President of his own cell and the space he used to walk around... Even president over those who did that to him.
Behind his position in the government, Mandela had that unique gift a few have nowadays: he was a leader. His leadership was not much getting things done or focus on results, as today people associate leadership with. It was BEING the leader, the model for his people and the embodiment of his own ideas.
In fact, it is not leadership that is missing in a world where the axis of power is shifting North to South, West to East. It is not leadership that is missing in a world where resources are getting shorter and shorter.
Leadership is around. There is the potential there. But it is so often mixed with being a manager that is not working as it should. And the reason is that awareness we could see in Mandela and many others.
A leader, when she or he is awaken to his or her own potential, and its use for the society in general, there is nothing that can prevent a leader to fulfill a mission and to reach a goal.
If you feel sometimes you really don't want to do anything, you just want to flow with the world and it does not matter what happens, probably that means awareness is missing somewhere. You can even be an excellent boss, a good father or a very caring neighbor, but when crisis come you won't be able to overcome them. You will be one more, protesting against those who should be the leaders.
Irony is that you could be one too. Just wake up...
No comments:
Post a Comment