Nelson mandela

Personal Model of Leadership I believe that Nelson Mandela has had the most positive influence on me. The knowledge of how to get along with other people is one of the most wanted social traits (Maxwell 1). It was this ability that made Nelson Mandela a universally respected leader. He carried out negotiations with the apartheid government, respecting their point of views but also believed in knowing about the opposition to turn the negotiation to his favour. The years in prison taught him to be well-organized and balanced. Another thing that I learnt from his is that life never presents an either/or situation and as a leader, one should learn to deal with contradiction (Stengel). 2. When reflecting on my life and dreams, I realize that I want to become really good at whatever field I pursue. I want to excel and be one of the best in my chosen discipline. I also want to be respected and known for my good character. I am here to learn how to be a better leader and to apply my skills effectively in professional life. 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 centre 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 them responsibilities according to their competence while also allowing for 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 learnt 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 are able to perform. Also they expect the leader to 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 to 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 to their work. I do not want them to make excuses; instead I would expect that they 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 to 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). Works Cited Daft, Richard L. And Dorothy Marcic. Understanding Management. Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Daft, Richard L. and Patricia G. Lane. The leadership experience. Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2007. Print. Hiam, Alexander. Business Innovation For Dummies. New Jersey: For Dummies, 2010. Print. Maxwell, John C. Winning With People: Discover The People Principles That Work For You Every Time. New Delhi: Pearson Education India, 2005. Print. Stengel, Richard. Mandela: His 8 Lessons of Leadership. Time, 2008. Web. 11 June 2011. Witt, David. What can people expect from you as a leader? Blanchard Leader Chat, 2011. Web. 11 June 2011.