Leadership and Governance: Theories and Nelson Mandela

This report delves into the multifaceted concept of leadership, exploring its evolution and significance across various organizational settings. It begins with a comprehensive literature review of prominent leadership theories, including the Great Man Theory, Trait Theory, Behavioral Theories, Servant Theory, Autocratic Theory, Lewin's Participative Leadership Theory, Transformational Theory, Transactional Theory, Situational Theory, and Democratic Theory. The paper then shifts its focus to a critical analysis of Nelson Mandela's leadership style, highlighting his adherence to the Democratic style of Leadership, and its impact on the South African apartheid movement and his presidency. Mandela's emphasis on democracy, equality, unity, ethics, and change is examined. The report concludes by summarizing the key findings and the enduring relevance of Mandela's leadership in the context of the theories discussed.

Running head: LEADERSHIP AND GOVERNANCE
Leadership and Governance
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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Literature review of leadership theories.....................................................................................2
Nelson Mandela.........................................................................................................................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................9

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Introduction
The process of leadership has been a topic of much critical debate as well as research
since the traditional times and even in the present times is receiving a significant amount of
attention because of the diverse benefits that it provides to the various business enterprises
and other groups (Marshall & Oliva, 2017). Broadly defined the concept of leadership is the
process by means of which the various individuals lead particular individuals or groups of
people towards the achievement of their desired goals or objectives (Northouse, 2018).
Furthermore, the leaders are required to have various kinds of skills as well as inherent
qualities that are likely to attain better results with the groups or the business enterprises with
which they are associated (Northouse, 2018). It is a reflection of this particular fact that the
skills as well as qualities of integrity of character, effective communication skills, ethical
decision making, situation handling skills and others have emerged as one of the most
important skills for the various present day leaders to have (Northouse, 2018). In addition to
these, it is generally seen that the effectiveness of a particular leader also depends on the style
of leadership that she or he follows for the purpose of leading the various individuals who are
associated with them (Fairhurst & Connaughton, 2014). This paper will discuss about the
concept of leadership and also the various theories of leadership that have gained prominence
in the present times through the critical analysis of the South African leader Nelson Mandela.
Literature review of leadership theories
The various theories as well as the different styles of leadership that have gained
prominence in the present day context are an indicative of the importance of the process of
leadership. Many experts are of the viewpoint that the process of leadership can be broadly
defined as the “as a winning combination of personal traits and the ability to think and act as
a leader, to be a person who directs the activities of others for the good of all” (Meuser et al.,

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2016). One of the major theories of leadership that has not only influenced the behavior of
the various leaders but also the followers who are associated with them is the “The Great
Man Theory of Leadership”. According to this particular theory of leadership a leadership
is supposed to be first of all a great man with personal qualities that makes him or her stand
out of the rest of the people (Meuser et al., 2016). Furthermore, this particular theory also
states that the leaders are created but they are born. This particular theory takes the help of
the various historical leaders as well as other war instances to justify this particular fact.
Another important theory of leadership is the “Trait Theory”. This theory just like the above
mentioned theory states that the most effective leaders are the ones who display certain
personal traits as well as qualities that are not displayed by the majority of the people of the
world and it is a combination of all these traits which contributes towards the effectiveness of
these leaders (Lussier & Achua, 2015). Following the same line of discussion, another theory
which gained a significant amount of prominence was the “Behavioral Theories” which
stated that it is the behavior of the leaders that distinguishes them from the rest of the people
and as a matter of fact contributes in a significant manner towards their effectiveness
(Tourish, 2014). Another important theory of leadership that has lost significance in the
present day context but was once very popular was the “Servant Theory of Leadership”.
According to this particular leadership, the leaders are supposed to act as if they were the
master of the followers who are associated with him or her and the followers are supposed to
act as if they are the servants or the slaves of the leaders (Antonakis & Day, 2017). In this
particular context mention also needs to be made about the “Autocratic Theory of
Leadership” which was followed by the majority of the military leaders and believed in the
use of force for the achievement of the desired goals or objectives (Antonakis & Day, 2017).
In the present times it is seen that most of the above mentioned theories have become
obsolete and have been replaced by the ones which are more in synchronicity with the present

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needs of the people. In this particular context one of the most important ones is the “Lewin's
Participative Leadership Theory” which is one of the most commonly used ones in the
particular domain of the present day business world. As per this particular theory, the various
employees of a particular company should be provided with all the important information
regarding the working of the company and the decisions made by the leader should be in
synchronicity with the opinions as well as the feedbacks given by the concerned employees
on the same manner (Northouse, 2018). Another important leadership theory to gain
prominence in the present day context is the “Transformational Theory of Leadership” of
James V. Downton and James MacGregor Burns (Fairhurst & Connaughton, 2014). One of
the most ardent supporters of this particular theory of leadership and leadership style is
Howard Schultz of the company Starbucks (Fairhurst & Connaughton, 2014). This particular
leadership believes in leading the various followers who are associated with a particular
leader by example and also believes in the effective use of the concept of motivation
(Fairhurst & Connaughton, 2014). The “Transactional Theory of Leadership”, on the other
hand, believes in the use of the concepts of reward and punishment for the attainment of the
desired goals as well as objectives (Meuser et al., 2016). Thus, goal setting as well as
effective regulation of the performance level of the followers forms an important part of this
particular style of leadership (Meuser et al., 2016). Bill Gates of Microsoft has been one of
the most ardent supporters of this particular theory of leadership (Meuser et al., 2016). The
“Situational Theory of Leadership” of Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard articulates the fact
that in the present day world the various leaders are required to act according to the merit of
the situations which arise before them and thus the use of one particular style or theory of
leadership is not sufficient for the leaders of the present times (Antonakis & Day, 2017).
Indra Nooyi of the company Coca-Cola is one of the most important supporters of this
particular style of leadership (Antonakis & Day, 2017). In addition to these, the “Democratic

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Theory of Leadership” which believes in the use of the concept of democracy by the leaders
has also gained a significant amount of significance in the specific context of the modern day
world (Tourish, 2014).
Most of the above mentioned theories have a few things in common like almost all of
them focus on the use of the concepts of teamwork, ethics as well as change by a particular
leader to achieve the desired kind of goals or the objectives set by them (Lussier & Achua,
2015). The use of these concepts not only helps the various leaders to enhance the
performance level of the followers who are associated with him or her but at the same time
helps in the creation of a positive environment within the framework of the team itself
(Lussier & Achua, 2015). Thus, it would be apt to say that the effective use of these concepts
has become imperative for the modern leaders.
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (1918-2013), the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for
1993 is one of the most popular political leaders of the modern era (Biography of Nelson
Mandela – Nelson Mandela Foundation, 2018). He served as the President of South Africa
during the tenure 1994-1999 and is widely known for the revolutionary fight which he fought
for the black community of South Africa (Biography of Nelson Mandela – Nelson Mandela
Foundation, 2018). He is now mostly remembered as the revolutionary leader of the
Apartheid movement and the role he played in making the black people of the nation of South
Africa on par with the white folks and providing them with equal rights (Biography of Nelson
Mandela – Nelson Mandela Foundation, 2018).
Mandela during the entire course of his career and his revolutionary fight for the
cause of the black community took the help of the “Democratic style of Leadership”
(Sternlight et al., 2015). It is significant to note that Mandela was an ardent supporter of the

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concept of democracy and believed in the concept of “liberty, equality and fraternity” in a
sacrosanct manner (Biography of Nelson Mandela – Nelson Mandela Foundation, 2018). It
was the belief in the concept of democracy that made him take up the cause of the black
community and fight against the injustices that were meted out to the black people of South
Africa (Sternlight et al., 2015). Thus, using the democratic style of leadership he set out to
make the black people of the nation aware about the important precepts of the concepts of
democracy and the things that the national government of the nation deprived them of. He
was an ardent believer in the concept of equality and thus he set out to unite the people of the
nation against the atrocities which the national government of the nation committed against
them in the name of democracy (Sewpaul, 2016). Furthermore, he valued as well as respected
the opinion of all the followers and took the help of them in making the important decision
not only during the apartheid movement but also during his reign as the President of the
nation (Sewpaul, 2016). His use of the democratic style of leadership also becomes
significant in his use of non-violence, that is, the policy which Gandhi followed in his
struggle against the British in India, for the cause of the apartheid movement (Sewpaul,
2016).
Mandela was an ardent believer in the concept of unity and teamwork and it is a
reflection of this particular that he united the different people belonging to the black
community of the nation of South Africa against their fight with the white dominated
government of the nation (Pietersen, 2015). In addition to this, he was also an ardent believer
in the concept of ethics and justice and it was this particular fact that made him realize that
the treatment which was meted out to the black people of the nation was totally unethical and
unjust and at the same time against the precepts of democracy (Pietersen, 2015). Furthermore,
he was also a firm believer in the rights of the people of the nation and he himself says in his
1993 book “The Long Road to Freedom” that “When a man is denied the right to live the

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life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw” (Mandela, 2015). He was at the
same time a firm believer in the concept of change and thus he tried to change the existing
framework of the nation with the inherent objective to not only change the situation of the
nation but at the same time to change the fortunes of the nation since he realized that the
nation could become prosperous only if all the people of the nation are treated in equal
manner (Lau & Yip, 2018). These in short are some of the leadership qualities of Mandela
and most of these qualities are associated with the democratic style of leadership.
Conclusion
To conclude, Nelson Mandela was not only one of the greatest leaders of the nation of
South Africa but he is one of the greatest leaders of the modern era. He strove not only to
improve the conditions of the black community of the nation of South Africa but at the same
time to improve the prospects of the entire nation itself. Perhaps one of the most important
strengths of his leadership style was the manner in which he united the entire black
community and not only made them aware of the injustices that were being meted out to them
but at the same time helped them to attain freedom from such injustices through the use of
non-violence. In addition to this, the long durations of prison and the hunger strikes which he
ensured also points towards the integrity of his character and his desire to fight not only for
the cause of the people but at the same time to improve their condition as well. The major
weakness of Mandela was the fact that he strove to improve the condition of only the black
people of South Africa but it is significant to note that during the same time period other
black people in the other nations of Africa were facing the same kind of injustices. It would
have been much better had he united the entire black community of Africa to fight for their
cause. In addition to this, various individuals as well as nations were willing to offer help to
him and the black community but he refused to take and the achievement of the equal status

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for the black people with the white people would have come much earlier had he taken the
help. Furthermore, Mandela could have benefitted even more had he followed the situational
or the transformational styles of leadership and these styles of leadership would have enabled
him to achieve the goals set by him in a much better manner.

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References
Antonakis, J., & Day, D. V. (Eds.). (2017). The nature of leadership. Sage publications.
Biography of Nelson Mandela – Nelson Mandela Foundation. (2018). Biography of Nelson
Mandela – Nelson Mandela Foundation [online]. Retrieved from
https://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/biography
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perspective. Leadership, 10(1), 7-35.
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Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications.

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Pietersen, W. (2015). What Nelson Mandela taught the world about leadership. Leader to
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Sewpaul, V. (2016). Politics with soul: Social work and the legacy of Nelson
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Andrews, P. (2015). Making Peace with Your Enemy: Nelson Mandela and His
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