What Are You Reading???! - Mandela | Leadership

Mandela's Way
- Richard Stengel
Fifteen Lessons on Life, Love, and Courage

Jermaine said that this book is changing his life.

From my understanding from rapping with Jermaine about this book, it's about being a leader.

My friend Trish asked me last week, "What are the five things you struggle with as a Seventh Day Adventist guy, or that you know your friends are struggling with?"

My number one answer was, "Being a leader at home, at work, at school, and at church." And I should have added, "as well as being a leader with friends and peers as well as in romantic relationships."

All of a sudden being a leader seems to be a major requirement in all aspects of my life, and I feel ill-prepared. My previous and current education on being a leader does not entail much. I had figured being a leader by example was enough, and that being sincere in my relationship with God would allow me to be a light to others. Maybe that worked for me before, but it definitely does not seem like enough for where I am at in life right now.

"What kind of example am I going to be to my children?" That is a question that I have recently begun to reverence a little bit more.

I am being vulnerable to reveal how valuable I think this book is, as well as how impressed and encouraged I am that my close friend and peer is digesting material that is so integral to our identity and to our role as men. Nevertheless as young, black, Adventist men.

Read on my brother :)

A couple of Jermaine's favourite quotes:

Courage is not letting the fear defeat you."

Emotional? Passionate? Sensitive? Quickly stung? The Nelson Mandela who emerged from prison is none of those things, at least on the surface. Today he would find all of those adjectives objectionable. Indeed, one of the sharpest criticisms he ever levels at anyone is that they are "emotional" or "too passionate" or "sensitive." Time and again the words I heard him use to praise other were "balanced," "measured," "controlled." The praise we give others is a reflection of how we perceive ourselves - and those are precisely the words he would use to describe himself."

Prison taught him self-control, discipline, and focus, the things he considers essential to leadership, and it taught him how to be fully human."

In Africa there is a concept known as 'ubuntu' - the profound sense that we are human only through the humanity of others; if we are to accomplish anything in this life it will in equal measure be to due to the work and achievements of others."