Desmond Tutu offers a great commentary on Mandela's authentic leadership style stating, "Nelson Mandela has a knack of doing just the right thing.it's not anything you can contrive" (Carlin, Playing the Game, page 224). Earlier, Mandela had displayed uncharacteristic emotion following the 1993 Nobel Prize ceremony, commenting on the horrid treatment of prisoners on Robbin Island in the presence of de Klerk and dignitaries. As Carlin states, "He was human after all; he was not a saint" (Carlin, Playing the Enemy, page 143). Letting his emotions show, Mandela demonstrated to the world that he was guided not only by wisdom and principles, but through empathy, as well. .
Transformational Leadership .
A transformational leader leads in such a way that he/she connects with his "followers" on a personal level. The opening comments of Mandela's to the book, "Don't Address their Brains. Address Their Hearts,"" (Carlin, Playing the Enemy) illustrates the path to transformation he was seeking. Transformational leadership requires the leader to inspire the followers to believe they are capable of something greater than they may have otherwise thought possible. From Northouse (2012), "it empowers them because they feel they are a significant dimension of a worthwhile enterprise." (Bennis & Nanus, 1985). .
Transformational leaders exude an idealized influence (defined as ) perfectly captured by the quote of Kobie Coetsee, "He was a natural, and I realized that from the moment I set eyes on him. He was a born leader. And he was affable. He was obviously well like by the hospital personnel and yet he was respected, even though they knew that he was a prisoner. And he was clearly in command of his surroundings." (Carlin, Playing the Enemy, page 24). These leaders have a blend of charisma, authenticity and seemingly intuitive ethical decision making that draws followers to them.
Secondly, transformational leaders must inspire and motivate their followers.
