Nelson Mandela Marc Loubert

Background In opposition to the old guard’, Lembede and his colleagues exposed a radical African Nationalism grounded in the principle of national self-determination. In September 1944 they came together to find the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) After ANC was banned in 1960, Nelson Mandela argued for the setting up of a military wing within the ANC. In 1963, when many fellow leaders of the ANC and the Umkhonto were arrested, Mandela was brought to stand trial with them for plotting to overthrow the Government by violence

More Background On June 12, 1964, eight of the accused including Mandela, were sentenced to life imprisonment. During his years in prison, Mandela’s reputation grew steadily. 27 years he was in prison He was released on February 11, 1990. In 1991, at the first national conference of the ANC held inside South Africa after the organization had been banned in 1960. Mandela was elected as President of the ANC while his lifelong friend and colleague, Oliver Tambo, became the organization's National Chairperson.

More Background He won the Nobel peace prize in 1993. He shared it with Mr. Frederik Willem Klerk. “For their work for the peaceful termination of the apartheid regime, and for laying the foundations for a new democratic South Africa.” He was president of South Africa Died in 2013

Why I think he is a leader He was a great leader because he brought change to his people. He brought hope to the oppressed, to those without hope. When he was president, he was committed to working towards peace. He declared that the ANC's armed struggle would continue until the black majority received the right to vote. Made many changes to South African society, most notably by transitioning the country away from the racist policy of apartheid. Apartheid was a government policy that kept white Afrikaners in South Africa at the top of politics and business while limiting the rights of black citizens.

Strengths Mandela had that made him a great leader were honesty, being competent, forward-looking, inspiring, intelligent, fair-minded, broad-minded, courageous, straightforward and imaginative. He was also a man of great compassion, forgiveness and humility. Mandela had all four of Maxwell’s traits that he wrote about and those were self-discipline, prioritization, trust or character, and vision

Weakness In the early days, some activists saw him as a bully with wild branches that had to be tamed. Those twenty-seven years gave him many things that he did not have, a lack of wisdom and no connections to political groups In many ways, Mandela was a mindful leader, having invested hugely in developing his self-awareness and managing his emotions. Mandela acknowledged his weaknesses, his turbulent youth and his tempestuous relationships with women. Mandela once said, “one of the most difficult things is not to change society—but to change yourself

Three things that people can learn from him First of all, it does not matter how old a person is, they can bring about change in society. Secondly, any person if they desire to make change can become a leader as long as they are able to utilize their strengths and work on their weaknesses. Mandela is a good example of that, because in prison that is what he did. Thirdly, experience and connection will help a person become a better leader with the experience that they had. The background of someone can form the foundation that allows someone to grow and develop from experiences in life.

Conclusion That is why Mandela was a great leader.

Sources Biography.com Editors. “Nelson Mandela Biography Civil Rights Activist, President (Non-U.S.), Writer (1918–2013).” Bio.com, A&E Networks Television, www.biography.com/people/nelson-mandela- 9397017#video-gallery. Http://heavy.com/author/kontraband/. “Nelson Mandela Dies: Top 10 Facts You Need to Know.” Heavycom, 17 Apr. 2015, heavy.com/news/2013/12/nelson-mandela-dies-dead-rip-bio- facts/. @PsychToday. “Why Nelson Mandela Was A Great Leader.” Psychology Today, www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired- success/201312/why-nelson-mandela-was-great-leader.