In the History of Africa, Nelson Mandela is an exemplary figurehead that cannot be forgotten so easily. He was unarguably one of the most resilient men that stood out for his heroism and significance as a leader and anti-apartheid revolutionist.
Mandela was known for leading a peaceful and successful revolution that ended apartheid and transitioned the nation of South Africa to a multiracial democracy after being imprisoned for 27 years for opposing South Africa’s apartheid system. He was honored with an award in 1993 as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. He became his country’s first black president in 1994.
Moreso he was a motivational leader who delivered monumental speeches and wrote an autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. Here are his best quotes on leadership, and other aspects of life.
Nelson Mandela’s Powerful Quotes
1. When people are determined they can overcome anything.
2. As we let our own light shine, we consciously give other people permission to do the same.
3. I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
4. Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
5. Resentment is like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies.
6. Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again
7. It is better to lead from behind and put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.
8. When a man has done what he considers to be his duty to his people and his country, he can rest in peace.
9. If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.
10. One cannot be prepared for something while secretly believing it will not happen
11. As I have said, the first thing is, to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself.
12. A winner is a dreamer who never gives up.
13. Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.
14. Tread softly, breathe peacefully, and laugh hysterically.
15. Everyone can rise above their circumstance and achieve success if they are dedicated to and passionate about what they do.
16. It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails.
17. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great, you can be that generation.
18. We must use time creatively, and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right.
19. What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead
20. I hate race discrimination most intensely and in all its manifestations. I have fought it all my life; I fight it now and will do so until the end of my days.
21. Freedom is indivisible; the chains on any one of my people were the chains on all of them, and the chains on all of my people were the chains on me.
22. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but by its lowest ones.
23. Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity, it is an act of justice. Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.
24. I never lose. I either win or learn.
25. A leader is like a shepherd, He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.
26. There is a universal respect and even admiration for those who are humble and simple by nature, and who have absolute confidence in all human beings irrespective of their social status.
27. It is not where you start but how high you aim that matters for success.
28. I am the captain of my soul.
29. A leader is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind.
30. It is not diversity that divides us; It is our ethnicity or religion or culture that divides us. Since we have archived our freedom, there can only be one division amongst us: between those who cherish democracy and those who do not.
31. I learned that to humiliate another person is to make him suffer an unnecessarily cruel fate. Even as a boy, I defeated my opponents without dishonoring them.
32. When the water starts boiling it is foolish to turn off the heat.
33. Where you stand depends on where you sit.
34. Know your enemy- and learn about his favorite sport
35. Appearances matter- and remember to smile.
36. Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, honesty, but humility.
37. After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are so many more hills to climb.
38. Keep your friends close- and your rival even closer.
39. There is no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.
40. It always seems impossible until it’s done.
41. Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but, nerve extinguished.
42. If you talk to a man in his language he understands, and that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.
43. The brave man is not the one who has no fears, he is the one who triumphs over his fears.
Read Also: Robben Island- 10 Facts About The Prison Where Nelson Mandela Was Imprisoned
44. Difficulties break some men but make others. No axe is sharp enough to cut the soul of a sinner who keeps on trying, one armed with the hope he will rise even in the end.
45. Those who conduct themselves with morality, integrity, and consistency need not fear the forces of inhumanity and cruelty.
46. Courageous people do not fear forgiving, for the sake of peace
47. You will archive more in this world through acts of mercy than you will through acts of retribution.
48. When a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw
49. Without language, one cannot talk to people and understand them: one cannot share their hopes and aspirations, grasp their history, appreciate their poetry, or savor their songs.
50. Success in politics demands that you must take your people into confidence about your views and state them very clearly, very politely, and very calmly, but nevertheless, state them openly.
