Resilient leaders can anticipate challenges and quickly reframe an unpleasant situation, helping them stay on their goals while keeping an eye on the big picture.
Winnie Mandela was an incredible champion. After being banished to Brandfort, she refused to be demoralised, defying apartheid laws and shocking conservatives with her bold refusal to be intimidated by racist segregationist legislation.
Resilience and Influence
Resilience is a fundamental leadership trait to ensure success, with leaders needing the ability to overcome setbacks such as economic downturns, poor performance years and employee pressure. Resilient leadership brings many benefits for organizations of all shapes and sizes alike.
Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela-Mandela was born into a rural part of South Africa known as Pondoland in 1936. Her father Columbus was a schoolteacher who valued missionaries’ ability to inform locals about different cultures while instilling in his daughter a fiery sense of political awareness.
At an early age, Winnie was determined to defend her rights as a black woman living in an oppressive society. Her determination led her to advocate on behalf of oppressed groups; eventually becoming one.
She quickly emerged as an indefatigable opponent of apartheid and an important member of the ANC, inspiring many around her with her activism despite its unpopularity among some members. Critics frequently criticised her aggressive tactics but this did not stop her defying government authorities and inspiring younger members of the movement.
Winnie was often excluded from other ANC leaders while she worked to advance equality. Even her own husband Nelson, then president of the ANC, did not support her efforts, opting instead for partnerships with white South African governments to secure release for other prisoners.
Early on during her husband’s liberation struggle, Winnie had her first taste of power when the African National Congress (ANC) appointed her deputy minister for arts, culture and science. Although this role did not last long, her tenacity could not be denied.
At various points throughout her career, Winnie experienced setbacks that threatened to unravel her. Fraud convictions, insubordination charges and accusations of crimes from corruption to murder all brought her reputation into disrepute at various points, but each time Winnie proved her strength by recovering with flying colors – her resilience only outshone by her unwavering passion for equality.
Resilience in the Workplace
Resilience is an essential skill for business leaders as they navigate challenging situations and setbacks. Resilience allows leaders to maintain positive morale during difficult times, stay on track with their vision and goals, and adapt easily to change. Building resilience may prove challenging at first; however, with practice comes increased resilience that leads to improved leadership confidence.
As business leaders progress in their careers, most will face difficulties and setbacks. From personal issues such as job loss or grief to larger societal ones like terrorism or increasing racial violence on television shows, resilient leaders are able to stay calm while adapting quickly. Resilient leaders also provide their teams with strength in difficult moments.
As leaders face adversity, they must be able to pinpoint its root cause and find solutions that will enable them to progress forward. Resilient leaders can learn from past errors to make better future decisions; business leaders can develop resilience by practicing growth mindset strategies, increasing emotional intelligence levels and cultivating an encouraging work environment.
Leaders Should Establish Clear Vision and Purpose Nelson Mandela remained firm in his mission of creating a free and equal South Africa throughout his 27-year prison stay, even under extreme adversity. This example of unwavering commitment and resilience should inspire business leaders as they navigate change within their organization.
As Mandela grieved the death of her husband, she chose forgiveness over revenge as she made amends with those who had wronged her and moved forward with life. Forgiveness and reconciliation are crucial components of resilient leadership that can improve relationships in the workplace while creating an efficient working environment.
Leaders must also be comfortable taking risks and pushing beyond their comfort zones in order to advance their businesses forward. Winnie Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist who demonstrated this trait. Calculated risks may lead to unexpected opportunities; resilient leaders shouldn’t fear rejection or failure when taking calculated risks.
Resilience in Leadership
Resilient leadership involves being able to adapt quickly to challenging situations while remaining focused on meeting goals. It requires having a strong sense of self, as well as connecting with others effectively. A resilient leader must also be willing to step outside their comfort zone and stand up for what they believe in despite any risks it might present; such leadership enables employees to feel supported during difficult periods which improves morale and performance across an organization.
Resilience in leadership starts with one’s mindset and emotional intelligence. Resilient leaders tend to be more optimistic, which helps them overcome setbacks more easily while maintaining an upbeat perspective on life. They also possess high levels of emotional intelligence which enables them to better control their own emotions as well as empathize with those of others. Resilient leaders embrace continuous learning; challenges present opportunities for growth while being willing to change how they do work when necessary, inspiring other team members along the way.
Resilient leaders know how to remain composed when facing crises, communicating confidently with all stakeholders while finding innovative solutions to solve the situation and continue moving forward. Building resilience may take practice but can be learned and fostered through professional development training and self-reflection – The University of Texas at San Antonio’s Professional and Continuing Education (PaCE) program offers Resilience Building Leadership Professional Certification that equips supervisors, managers, and senior leaders with strategies for dealing with stress and adversity.
Resilient leadership also requires having a clear vision of the company’s priorities in challenging times. Resilient leaders provide middle management with an example to follow and can cascade it through all levels of the organization. Resilient leaders possess the skills needed to evaluate current projects and identify appropriate methods for reaching objectives in new or changing circumstances; using past successes and failures they can determine which are more likely to work under current conditions.
Resilience in Relationships
Resilient leaders are adept at managing risk and working through uncertainty. They foster collaborative environments while having a calm outlook and approach towards current and future circumstances. Furthermore, resilient leaders possess strong aspirations of success as well as being open to new opportunities.
Resilient people are often held up as role models, yet being too resilient can have its own set of dangers for leaders. Being too rigid with his or her approach could cause it to be inflexible when adapting to changing business circumstances, leading them away from their teams and eventually to isolation and disconnection from them. Resilience must be carefully balanced with self-awareness so as not to hinder rather than help your business.
Winnie was banished to Brandfort but her dedication and energy remained undiminished, continuing to challenge apartheid law and displease conservatives by defying unjust segregationist legislation with her audacity and bold actions. At this point she became famous for her militant views regarding ending apartheid; endorsing necklacing while having bodyguards that earned a reputation for violence.
She made headlines again and again for the frequent raids on her house, harassment of Zenani and Zindziswa and refusals to visit Nelson in jail. Additionally, she became increasingly aggressive in her pursuit of justice, advocating violent retaliation against those who collaborated with government and its oppressive system.
Steinberg suggests that Steinberg’s insecurities, including feelings of inadequacy and inaptitude as well as her deep-seated loneliness, contributed to this darkness. Additionally, her eldest sister’s death from tuberculosis as well as her mother’s illness (which caused Steinberg to turn to heavy drinking) increased this turmoil within.
Steinberg’s portrayal of Winnie is captivating, yet she makes no attempt to dispute any of the accusations levelled against her – instead she allows evidence speak for itself. Yet her resilience and influence certainly helped shape our world today; whether you agree with her methods or not it’s impossible to deny the impact of her dedication to human rights.
