Leadership theories - Assignment Example

Leadership theories Affiliation: Using leadership theories, analyze your selectedleader to identify characteristics and provide specific examples of leadership qualities you think contributed to that persons success.Nelson Mandela was and still remains to be a world recognized and respected leader. He was the first black president of South Africa after is gained independence from the white. This however did not come without a struggle and Mandela was on the forefront leading this nation towards this independence.

His great leadership skills and techniques is what led him to be a great leader even years after he left the presidency position. Some of these traits and characteristics which he had and which made him the great leader he was are discussed in detail below and they include: courageous, charismatic, assertive, intelligent, social among others (Northouse, 2010). CourageousMandela was indeed a courageous individual who did not fear the white men who ruled his country. He fought them in every way and even ended up in prison severally the last term lasting for over twenty years and still his courage did not falter to the say the least.

It is his courage that made him and others deliver South Africa from the apartheid rule and led it to independence. Even though he was mishandled by the police and knew the legal trouble he would get into by opposing the apartheid rules, he still went ahead and organized strikes and mass protests in order to try and gain independence (Hollingsworth, 2012). AssertiveHe was an assertive leader which made him succeed among all the others who had try to deliver the country from the colonialists. His assertiveness was as a result of him being an extrovert from birth.

He would not take no for an answer and neither would he back down even when told to as long as he got his way which was the best of for the rest of the people. It is his assertiveness that led to him gaining a law degree in order to understand the legal system of his nation as well as a military training in order to fight the colonialists by all means and ways possible. CharismaNelson Mandela was a charismatic leader loved and listened to by not only the South Africans but the whole world in general.

His struggles for independence made people love and believe in him even more. Years after he retired as the president of South Africa, he still had huge number of followers and people came from all over the world to come and see him including dignitaries and celebrities. His 90th birthday celebration in Hyde Park London was a testament of his charismatic leadership trait as millions of people from all over the world celebrated. His burial ceremony was also another example of how loved he was as a leader (Hollingsworth, 2012).

IntelligentLastly, Mandela was an intelligent leader and this was evident in his decision making skills. His intelligence drove him to open the first black law firm in South Africa during the apartheid regime together with Oliver Tambo. He might not have completed school and even left his first degree course at some point but did not deter him from using his inherent decision making skills to assist in gaining independence for the nation. ReferencesHollingsworth, T. (2012). Nelson Mandela: Leading the Way.

Pretoria: Teacher Created Material. Northouse, P. (2010). Leadership: Theory and Practice. New York: SAGE.