Ethical Leadership: Rolihlahla Mandala

An ethical leader that really inspires me is Rolihlahla Mandala because despite his harsh circumstances, he made the best out of his situation. Mandela was considered a very moral and motivational leader among many people, fellow leaders and his followers. Mandala was born in Mveso, Transkei, South Africa in 1918, where he was a very successful writer, civil activist, motivational speak, and ultimately a successful leader. Because his father died when he was a young boy and hearing about the his ancestors’ velour during the wars of resistance, he had a dream of making his own contribution of ultimately ending the struggle of his people. He attended a primary school, where his teacher gave him the name “Nelson” because it was a custom to give everyone a Christian name. Both of his parents were illiterate, however his mother was a devout

Another type of leadership approach that he possesses is the LMX theory because Mandela listened to the followers’ insights and their opinions other than his own. He possessed this type of leadership because he took into consideration what his followers wanted to achieve. He was a very modest person because he was able to lead his followers in the right direction without any violent tactics used. Mandela was considered a moral leader because he continuously used non-violent tactics to resist prison guards. He also developed creative ways to prevent the prison guards from feeling psychological burdens and victimhood. Although the prisoners were exposed to difficult working conditions, he wanted to make sure that their minds were kept sharp. He continued to make the best out of every situation, no matter what emotions he was feeling; he kept his moral values with him along the