Today is a guest post by Hermann du Plessis:
I must have read about 50 books and 200 articles on leadership to this day. I have attended more than 20 conferences and workshops on leadership. I have been coached, trained and counselled on leadership. It just seems like there is never an end to this topic – or should we call it a science. Are we making too much of leadership? Are we exploring the science of leadership because of its great significant?
These are the questions that I have struggled with for more than ten years. But leadership has made more sense to me lately, since I have made leadership personal. The reason leadership has become personal to me is because of a man called Oliver Tambo.
In 1991 Oliver Tambo, who then was the president of the ANC (African National Congress), delivered his address at the first National ANC conference after it was unbanned by the Apartheid government. Oliver Tambo knew that democracy was coming to South Africa and he had a challenge for the country.
He made the following statement to open his address as president of the ANC: “We are not ready for democracy. I know you will be angry with me for saying this, but we have to realise that democracy implies freedom and freedom implies you are free to do what you want with your life. Freedom implies you need to take ownership of your own life, you are responsible and you can’t blame anyone for your life not being what it needs to be. “
Oliver Tambo passed away in 1993 and our country lost a great leader, who was brave enough to challenge our country with personal leadership. Oliver Tambo knew that leaders take ownership and responsibility, but that starts with your own life. Personal leadership is significant and makes sense.
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