The personality and character of great leaders is measured against specific expectations they set for themselves; among which are traits such as competence, wisdom, empathy, compassion, love, and tact etc. A leader, who provides human security, respects and protects the sacred rights of his or her through benevolence rather than treachery is bound not to receive only the loyalty of his or her subjects, but their love as well. This truth cannot be further emphasized than in the events that marked the funeral of President Nelson Mandela last week. Not only did the South Africans flock to pay their last respect to the man who sacrificed blood, sweat and tears for their freedom, but people of different places, and races joined them in celebrating the life of Mandela. The world, in the words of Chinua Achebe, wept louder than the bereaved.
As the media and late night talk shows focused on parodying the fake deaf interpreter, each time I watched the replay of events, my attention shifted from the mockery to the crowd behind him. The crowd composed of foreign dignitaries, royalties, presidents, and heads of governments that graced the occasion – the good, the bad and the ugly men that dot the global political and social landscape. As disgusting as it is to most of us, it should serve us solace to accept that the presence of the fake interpreter could not have been by mere accident, but rather testimony to the fact that good and bad are complementary in life, and still exist within us. The presence of that devious man at the funeral of the man of such of stature is equally an indication that the work and strife of Mandela towards consolidating a free South Africa and by extension a righteous world, is incomplete, and the quest for perfection and virtue is an unending process that should not stop with the death of an inspirational leader like him. The lesson to draw from all this fiasco is that the world is still populated with a vulnerable population such as the deaf, blind, terminally ill, women and children; without protection, inclusiveness and righteousness, they will be further exposed to abuse.
Like the fake interpreter who obviously needs a dose of honesty and virtue Mandela espoused, so does every one, in particular the leaders who were converged in that stadium and afar. To the good leaders of the world, learning from the sacrifices and the great leadership in the life of Mandela will serve to strengthen and deepen their resolve and virtues. To the weak and ruthless tyrants, lessons of the selflessness and candor Mandela lived will help to liberate them from the demons lurking deep in their hearts and bring them back into the fold of humanity. One of the greatest lessons Mandela left for the ages, is the fact that we the true valor of men manifests itself in the face of adversity, and we discover our fundamental unity only when we cherish our rich diversities. To embrace and shake hands with the very men who shackled those hands for 27 years will undoubtedly be a story of forgiveness that will survive time. The wisdom of Mandela to realize that if you want to eat honey, you don’t kick over the hive should be an ample example to all political leaders that political success should not be won through force, but tact, dialogue, and compromise. Mandela’s life and success in political life is proof that uncontrolled strife and vengeance are a danger with potentials of deepening divisions and destroying our common good as men.
The lessons of Mandela cannot be more helpful than to the Gambian political leaders and citizens who are locked in a daily strife towards consolidating their democracy and uplifting themselves from the pains of abject poverty and misery that have engulfed their country in recent years. As in the words of Barbara Tuchman, there are three outstanding attitudes of foolishness in a leader: one is disregarding the unhappiness of your citizens, putting fame and popularity above everything, and the wrong belief that you are undefeatable. These are traits that were definitely absent in the heart of Mandela, and hopefully all of us and most importantly our political and civic leaders will avoid in their struggles towards bettering our country. Mandela at the time of forging a new nation, and consolidating his powers knew that the strength and weaknesses of the democratic ideal rested on the people and not the instruments of power at his disposal. Mandela sustained his powers not through forceful suppression of perceived or real threats; rather he neutralized his threats through empowering South Africans of all colors, gender and sexual orientation. Mandela knew beneath fear is rage, so he had to mitigate fears of the Afrikaners. He knew political peace did not bring social peace, and as a leader you don’t want your men shaking like a leaf, but solid as a rock.
Studying Mandela over the years, I have fallen deeply in love with the humility and patience of this great man. Watching an attentive Mandela listening to his personal assistant Zelda La Grange in the documentary The Final Chapter as she pointed out and explained the history of the renowned L’Ouvre Museum to him from their hotel balcony was not only heart rendering, but a proof of Mandela’s humility, and an African at heart who mastered the African wisdom that you follow the elephant through the bush so as not to get wet from the dew. This was one of the reasons Mandela welcomed all and sundry and never looked down upon even the powers that once sustained the powers of apartheid. He never saw western powers as adversaries or their policies as neo-colonial impositions on Africa. He was a wise man that realized in statecraft as Bismarck once remarked, there are no amigos, and it’s all about interest. From Robben Island where he learned Afrikaans to understand the position of his enemies, to the corridors of power, Mandela was a continuous learner who had an unbending will and curiosity to learn. To succeed as a leader, it is not only important to understand the complexities of the globalized world, but it is imperative to build a strategic alliance of trusted and skillful friends to confront the challenges and intricacies of the new world. It is this foresight and leadership quality of his for seeking knowledge and understanding his people that allowed him to overcome the barriers expectations and diversity threw at him.
One of the most outstanding qualities and wisdom Mandela has left us is summed in the words of Buckminter Fuller “You never change things by fighting reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” Besides his own unending appetite for knowledge, his life is enough of a lesson for all leaders and African leaders in particular to uphold his legacy of virtue and uprightness. A leadership that ruled more through unity than division, to form a strong government, he ruled through merit and qualification rather than favoritism – as it is more difficult to control people who are hired through their qualification than through political favors. The expectations of inspiration, experience and competence, integrity, inclusiveness and empathy shall forever remain to define the life of Mandela. Mandela’s life will forever remain as an example of what is achievable when we hold a common dream and dedicate our efforts and lives to reaching it. He is a testament that the fight for freedom is a long walk on a treacherous road littered with risks and pains. However, has shown the whole world that good will also triumph over evil, and never should we underestimate the simple acts of men and the impact they can bear on history.