This week's post is written in honor and memory of Nelson Mandela, one of the most influential leaders of the 20th Century. Mandela died last Thursday.
You know someone is a big deal when their likeness is cast in bronze in a prominent place in a major World City 6,000 miles away from his home country. Thus it is with Nelson Mandela, whose statue resides near Westminster Abbey in London. To give you an idea of the impact of this man on the World stage, consider this fact: The only other non-British statue I saw in the vicinity was of Abraham Lincoln.
A key component of Self-Action Leadership is Emotional Intelligence. This includes the capacity to allow your heart to be changed, rejecting feelings of bitterness, anger, and revenge to embrace emotions of peace, compassion, empathy, and forgiveness. This means developing the kind of inner strength where your central identity is no longer a victim of external realities beyond your control, but is rooted in your freedom to control your thoughts, speech, and actions.
