Tag Archives: nelson mandela

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3 Leadership Practices of Bono and U2 – Part II

U2 rose from a band with less than ideal musical skills when it began in 1976 to today having received a remarkable 22 Grammy awards, morethan any band in history. At the 71st Golden Globe Awards ceremony on January 12, the band added yet another accomplishment to its credit: the Golden Globe for Best Original Song from a Motion Picture for “Ordinary Love” from the movie “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.”

U2 Ordinary Love Album Cover

U2 Ordinary Love Album Cover

In my last article, “3 Practices CEOs Should Adopt from this Rock Star,” I credited Bono’s leadership of U2 as a key factor behind the band’s success. His leadership approach can be described in one sentence: Bono communicates an inspiring vision and lives it, values people, and gives them a voice.  CEOs would be wise to follow Bono’s example. In the article I highlighted three aspects of Bono’s leadership. As a follow up, here are three practical ways CEOs can implement leadership practices like those of Bono. 

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Invictus: The Rest of the Story

When Nelson Mandela entered Robben Island Prison he was known for aggressively confronting his enemies. Released 27 years later, Mandela stunned South Africans with his magnanimous behavior toward former adversaries.

During his years in prison Mandela was transformed. He came to know several of his warders and learned that Afrikaners could change. He read the biographies of men and women who exhibited great character. Forgiveness, he concluded, was the only path to unite the nation. His courage to forgive made all the difference.

When Mandela emerged from prison, he told black South Africans they must be the first to reach out their hands in forgiveness to white South Africans then he proceeded to reach out to those who persecuted him as if they were old friends.

Many white South Africans were moved by Mandela’s example. On one Sunday while visiting a Dutch Reformed Afrikaner Church, Mandela recounted that “The men all wanted to touch me. The women all wanted to kiss me. The children all wanted to hang on my leg.” A few years earlier, he reflected, he would have needed security guards to protect him from being assaulted but “this time they were there to protect me from being killed out of love.”

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Forgiveness as a Bridge to Unity

mandela5.jpgNelson Mandela recently celebrated his 90th birthday. I’m grateful for this man and the wisdom of his example. When he entered Robben Island Prison he was known for confronting his enemies. When he was released 27 years later, Mandela stunned South Africans with his magnanimous behavior toward former adversaries.