EUSEBIO AFRICANO DOS REIS VARELA Leadership Concepts, Theories And Issues 1 CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF NELSON MANDELA’S LEADERSHIP STYLE

Leadership is a concept that has evolved over time. Individuals such as Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King and Mother Theresa have emerged as defensors of the social issues of their time. This essay looks at one of the most prominent leaders of our time Nelson Mandela, from 1963 to 1999. First it will critically analyse Mandela’s Leadership style in the perspective of two leadership theories: Leadership as a Career, including its four stages of leadership: Formation, Accession, Incumbency and Divestiture. Then it will analyse it in terms of Transformational Leadership Theories, which was Mandela’s Leadership style during his governance. This will cover aspects of Idealised Influence, Inspirational Motivation, Intellectual Simulation and Individualised Consideration. Ultimately, this review will show that Mandela’s chosen leadership style reveals both his successes and failures as a leader.