Nelson Mandela would have turned 100 years old this past year, and at that time, it appeared as though the entire globe was considering his influence. I think Mandela’s emotional intelligence was one of his most important traits, and I try very hard to be like him in that way.
Mandela spent 27 years behind bars in South Africa’s notoriously cruel jails during the apartheid era, yet he was able to make the most of the experience. When he was imprisoned, according to his biographer Anthony Sampson, “he mastered the skill of politics: how to relate to all kinds of people, how to convince and cajole, how to transform his warders into dependents, and how to become master in his own prison.”
This is no little accomplishment. Under such extreme stress, the majority of us would give in, but Mandela’s emotional intelligence enabled him to rise to the situation, be ready for a career in politics, and continue his work for human rights. Therefore, if you’re eager to develop your own Nelson Mandela sense of EQ like I am, try focusing your attention on the following areas:
- Self-Awareness –Having a strong sense of self-awareness enables you to identify with and comprehend people by allowing you to see your own strengths and limitations. Your self-awareness will motivate you to analyse your own involvement in a situation and make the necessary modifications to succeed, rather than running away at the first hint of difficulty.
- Social awareness – by originating from a place of empathy, compassion, and participation, your social awareness enables you to comprehend others. Always keep in mind the saying, “Put yourself in someone else’s shoes,” and make an effort to consider their perspective. You can empathise with a group of people in the same way that you can empathise with an individual. Your leadership skills will significantly increase if you have a sense of social awareness.
- Self-management – Self-control and discipline are essential elements of effective leadership, even though they may not seem like much fun. You need to be able to push yourself to always give your best effort and go the extra mile, even in those times when you don’t feel like setting a good example. After all, why would your employees do it if you didn’t?
- Relationship management – A strong leader is able to assemble people and rally them around a single objective. Your team will never perform to its full capacity if they lack faith in your abilities, drive, and leadership. A true leader unites people from all backgrounds, skill sets, and belief systems, and Mandela achieved this expertly. It’s now your turn to feel motivated to follow suit.
Nelson Mandela was one of the genuine heroes of the 20th century, and we can learn a lot about leadership from him. Think about what you can do right now to follow his lead.
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