A good leader should always be held to a higher standard than most people and be expected to put their best foot forward. In analyzing the life of Nelson Mandela, it is easy to see how he could influence others throughout his life and in his legacy. Excellent leaders such as Nelson Mandela must show that they work diligently to be such a great influence. Some of the qualities that Nelson Mandela possessed were honesty, humility, integrity, forgiveness, and persistence. Nelson Mandela is often described as a complex and unique individual due to the fact he spent many years in a jail cell, took residence in a presidential palace, and then gave up his power voluntarily after one four-year term but never stopped advocating for peace and unity. …show more content…
While in prison, he was viewed as a mentor for his fellow prisoners and encouraged them to seek better treatment through nonviolent resistance. He established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate human rights and political violations. In addition, he introduced social and economic programs to improve the standard of living in South Africa for the black population. In 1996 he supervised the enactment of a new South African constitution. This constitution established a strong central government based on majority rule and prohibited discrimination against minorities (Nelson Mandela - Facts | History.com). Mandela spent a large majority of his life improving race relations and discouraging blacks from retaliating against the white minority. Above all, he constantly tried to improve the image of unity in South Africa. For this reason, Mandela is known to provide help to others, especially minorities. Due to the work he has contributed to humanity, Mandela reached his true potential and provided extraordinary advancements to the behavior towards other people. Society is still learning constantly from Mandela’s actions because they have had such a large