Think of someone who is a leader. It could be someone well known like Albert Einstein or Sojourner Truth. Or maybe it is a friend, a coworker, or a family member. What makes them a leader? What have they done to influence or inspire you? Are they the type of leader you wouldn’t mind becoming?

To guide your contemplation of this, allow me to share two of my favorites.

During a time marked by a system of racial segregation in South Africa called apartheid, Nelson Mandela rose to acclaim as a politically-driven anti-apartheid activist, spent twenty-seven years in prison for his work, and aided in apartheid’s abolishment in the early 1990s. Later, he became South Africa’s first Black and democratically elected president.

In the early 1400s,Joan of Arc, a young peasant girl, believing that God had called her to defeat the English in the Hundred Years’ War, entreated an army from the heir to the throne, Charles VII. She proceeded to lead attacks against the English (the most well known of which were at Orleans) and helped crown Charles VII as king while gaining support from her people.

What change do you desire to see in the future? What kind of ideas do you have to contribute to the greater good?

We say we want to progress or change, but who will rise to the occasion to make that happen? Who will be a voice for those who cannot find theirs or don’t have one? Who will become a leader?

Here’s what I have learned about leadership from Joan of Arc and Nelson Mandela.

A leader leaves an impact.

Through his efforts, Nelson Mandela left his mark by aiding in the liberation of his people from the constraints of apartheid.

It was no quick feat. He began his work in politics in 1942 and joined the African National Congress (ANC) in 1944. But apartheid wasn’t abolished until the early 1990s, around 50 years after his start.

#history #leadership-development #leadership #self-improvement