Today we join the nation and the rest of the world to mourn and celebrate the life of a man, fashioned by HIS HUMANITY to fulfill a unique destiny in the laying of the foundation of socioeconomic liberation of this great nation from the evil apartheid system.

It is the nature of God that whenever he desires to communicate, alter, shift or transform the cause of a nation or generation, He searches for ordinary humans with extra ordinary behavioral character quality, with the intention of precisely representing his purposes and agenda in the earth. perhaps, Nelson Mandela is one out of many in his generation who heed the call of heaven to face and challenge headlong the evil apartheid regime, or maybe, it was a powerful, irresistible quest within his soul to do something about the injustice, poverty and marginalization of his people, only heaven will tell.

It is important we look at the qualities that make this political icon in perspective as the nation of South Africa mourns and celebrates at the same time the life of this servant- leader. We must note that Nelson Mandela was never a perfect man, father, husband or friend. however, he exhibited some of the finest leadership qualities highly and desperately needed in the development and productivity of the continent of Africa and the rest of the world. He perfectly understood his humanity and the power of the mass to achieve what he wanted.

HIGHLIGHTS OF SOME OF THE QUALITIES THAT MAKES GREAT LEADERSHIP NOT NECESSARILY A GREAT MAN
• A call to sacrifice and selflessness
• The burning desire to see justice, equity and transformation
• The resolve to live for what you believe and if need be, die for it
• The ability to transmit and translate the vision to your immediate family and community
• The understanding of the complexity of the challenges ahead
• The determination to be had
• The factor of applied knowledge, wisdom and understanding accurately
• An inner drive to fight all forms of poverty and marginalization
• Having an intuitive knowledge of human nature and behavior
• The ability to identify needed resources and capacity in others
• The need to know how to choose your friends and allies
• Understanding the power of a well refined identity
• The ability to manage conflict within and outside the scope of once objective
• Ability and grace to identify and handle distraction
• The resolve to fight but fight strategically if need be
• The power of interaction and negotiation
• The power of information and education
• The grace to make informed decision
• The grace to share your fear or anxieties with your close friends and allies
• The intuitive knowledge to gracefully exit when you feel your time is up
• Acknowledging that whatever you did, achieve or have become is solely by God’s grace, wisdom and power

The need for true visionary savant-leaders is important, most especially in our today’s world where corruption and selfishness defines the very template of those who claim to be leading across the globe.