????然而,，在深入挖掘的過程,，我們發(fā)現(xiàn)曼德拉給予我們的啟示遠(yuǎn)不止于此,，這一切取決于我們?nèi)绾味x卓越的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力,。

????有人曾經(jīng)問曼德拉，他是不是因?yàn)榻處煹姆N族歧視,，才沒有學(xué)好法律,。“是的,，我的老師確實(shí)是一個(gè)種族主義者,，但這并不是我沒有學(xué)好法律的原因?！彼?，他必須為自己的表現(xiàn)承擔(dān)責(zé)任。曼德拉在羅本島服刑期間堅(jiān)持自學(xué),，還組織其他犯人一起學(xué)習(xí),。即使囚犯?jìng)儽黄热ゲ墒瘓?chǎng)從事一整天的辛苦勞作時(shí),，每個(gè)工作隊(duì)都被安排了一位向他們傳授歷史、經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)和政治學(xué)等學(xué)科的講師,。這些囚犯稱其為“羅本島大學(xué)”,。他后來回憶說：“為了學(xué)會(huì)如何成為一個(gè)好學(xué)生，我必須去蹲大牢,?！?/p>

????曼德拉在獄中專心致志地學(xué)習(xí)他的壓迫者（即南非白人，又稱布爾人）的語言和歷史,，甚至還幫助一些獄警撰寫要求升職的信函,。

????被捕入獄前，他曾經(jīng)在一位朋友的莊園里躲避過一段時(shí)間,。有一次,，他使用一支氣步槍射殺了一只麻雀，非常驕傲地展示了一下他的槍械技能,。結(jié)果當(dāng)他轉(zhuǎn)身向朋友的兒子吹噓時(shí),，這位年僅5歲的小男孩淚眼婆娑地對(duì)他說：“你為什么要?dú)⑺滥侵圾B啊,？它的媽媽會(huì)難過的,。”曼德拉反省道：“我覺得這個(gè)小男孩比我更為人性,。對(duì)于一支新生游擊隊(duì)的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者來說,，這是一種奇怪的感覺?！?/p>

????卓越的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者把人生視作一所學(xué)校,。他們總是在學(xué)習(xí)。沒有什么情勢(shì)——獄中的一天,，一個(gè)小孩的斥責(zé)——是微不足道,，無關(guān)緊要的。

????像美國(guó)的馬丁?路德?金一樣,，曼德拉起初擁抱的是甘地的非暴力理想,。他后來忍痛放棄了這個(gè)理念，創(chuàng)辦了非洲人國(guó)民大會(huì)的武裝力量,?！案实厝匀恢铝τ诜潜┝硐耄晃冶M可能長(zhǎng)時(shí)間地追隨甘地的戰(zhàn)略,，但我們的斗爭(zhēng)后來迎來一個(gè)節(jié)點(diǎn),，壓迫者的野蠻暴行再也無法僅僅通過消極抵抗來還擊。我們選擇采取破壞行動(dòng),，因?yàn)檫@種策略不會(huì)造成生命的損失,，它是未來種族關(guān)系最大的希望所在,。”

????后來,，曼德拉承認(rèn)非國(guó)大的行動(dòng)導(dǎo)致了一些侵犯人權(quán)的事件,，并對(duì)那些不肯承認(rèn)這一點(diǎn)的黨內(nèi)人士提出了批評(píng)。

????在非國(guó)大執(zhí)行委員會(huì)抨擊他要求降低選民年齡至14歲的立場(chǎng)之后,，他選擇了退讓,，并在日記中寫道，“我做出了一個(gè)嚴(yán)重的誤判,?！?/p>

????卡翁達(dá)落選后，曼德拉再次來到贊比亞,，對(duì)公眾說：“我此前選擇支持對(duì)象的行為是錯(cuò)誤的,。我知道，贊比亞曾經(jīng)為南非解放做出過不可估量的犧牲,，肯尼思?卡翁達(dá)博士當(dāng)時(shí)是國(guó)家元首,。我此前的姿態(tài)看起來似乎是，為我們的斗爭(zhēng)事業(yè)提供幫助的僅僅是卡翁達(dá)博士一人,，而不是全體贊比亞人民,。雖然我們或許可以選擇卡翁達(dá)博士提供的卓越領(lǐng)導(dǎo)力，但誰應(yīng)該當(dāng)選,，可不能由我自己來確定,。”

????But when we dig deeper, we find there is much more to him, and it all hinges on how we define great leadership.

????Mandela was once asked if he did poorly as a law student because of racism among the faculty "Yes, I did have a racist lecturer, but that is not why I didn't do well." He knew he had to take responsibility for his performance. When he was a prisoner on Robben Island, Mandela organized a process for educating himself and other prisoners. Even as prisoners were forced to go out to the limestone quarry for a day of hard labor, each working team was assigned an instructor who taught them history, economics, politics, and other disciplines. They called it "Island University." He later reflected, "I had to go to prison in order to learn how to be a good student."

????While in prison, Mandela focused on learning the language and history of his oppressors, the Afrikaaners, and then even helped certain prison guards write their letters for promotion.

????Once, when he was in hiding at a friend's estate prior to his arrest and imprisonment, he shot and killed a sparrow with an air rifle in a prideful display of his firearms skills. As he turned to boast , his friend's five-year-old son turned to him with tears in his eyes and said, "Why did you kill that bird? Its mother will be sad." Mandela reflected, "I felt that this small boy had far more humanity than me. It was an odd sensation for a man who was the leader of a nascent guerrilla army."

????Great leaders approach life as a school. They are always learning. No situation -- a day in prison, a scolding from a child -- is too inconsequential.

????Like Martin Luther King in America, Mandela had initially embraced Gandhi's ideals of non-violence. He only reluctantly parted with this philosophy to start the armed wing of the ANC. "Gandhi remained committed to nonviolence; I followed the Gandhian strategy for as long as I could, but then there came a point in our struggle when the brute force of the oppressor could no longer be countered through passive resistance alone. We chose sabotage because it did not involve the loss of life, and it offered the best hope for future race relations."

????Later, Mandela admitted that the ANC's actions led to some human rights abuses, and criticized those that refused to acknowledge it.

????After the executive committee of the ANC attacked his position on lowering the voting age to 14, he backed down, and wrote in his diary, "I have made a grave error of judgment."

????When Kaunda lost the vote in Zambia, Mandela went back to Zambia and said to the public, "I was wrong to have chosen sides ... I know that Dr. Kenneth Kaunda was the head of state when Zambia sacrificed immeasurably for the liberation of my country. I made it appear as though it was only Dr. Kaunda and not the whole country of Zambia that helped in our struggles. While there is room for us to single out the great leadership that Dr. Kaunda offered, it was not for me to determine who was to be elected."