Nelson Mandela and Leadership

CEOs and Presidents

In delineation, influence processes are those employed by a leader to inspire, sway and encourage their followers and employees. This paper makes a comparison of the leadership styles of three particular leaders who include John F. Kennedy, Oprah Winfrey, and Nelson Mandela.

Influence is a vital component of leadership and refers to the manner in which a leader affects followers and employees. This particular aspect of influence necessitates that a leader affects the lives of their followers and employees. In particular, influence processes encompasses the different manners in which leaders fashion variables such as personnel and resources. In definition, influence processes denotes and conveys the different approaches employed by leaders to provide the essential strategic leadership vital for the everyday management of their organization. Irrespective of the processes used by leaders, their decisions largely influence the direction taken of the organization in addition to affecting the motivation and conduct of employees (Articles Base, 2011). This paper takes into account five different influence methods including direct decisions, allocation of resources, reward system, selection, and promotion of other leaders and role modeling. John F. Kennedy, Oprah Winfrey, and Nelson Mandela are three leaders that employ different styles of leadership based on their different leadership skills.

Influence Processes

The following table identifies how the three leaders make use of the different influence processes in their leadership.

Influence Method

John F. Kennedy

Oprah Winfrey

Nelson Mandela

Direct decisions

He negotiated the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty and initiated the formation of alliance for Progress

Allocation of resources

Reward system

The reward system granted by Nelson Mandela was through the people's voice. For instance, De Klerk became the deputy President according to the votes and say of the masses.

Selection and promotion of other leaders

Nelson Mandela selected and promoted Oliver Tambo to serve as national chairperson of the ANC. In addition, subsequent to the first elections after apartheid, Mandela invited De Klerk to serve as the deputy president. On July 18, 2007, Mandela assembled a team of global leaders, including Graca Machel, Desmond Tutu, Kofi Annan, Ela Bhatt, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Jimmy Carter, Li Zhaoxing, Mary Robinson and Muhammad Yunus, to address some of the harshest issues across the world (Bio, 2016).

Role modeling

JKF serves a great role model to many as he had enough courage to stand by his ideals and principles above his own life. He largely acclaimed criticism to the government regarding key issues at the time such as racial segregation, and different institutions such as secret societies within the nation.

Oprah Winfrey is a great role model to several for women and to African-Americans. Despite the hurdles faced, Oprah has become a respected and powerful woman in the world and also one of the richest African-Americans in the world.

Nelson Mandela is a great model of individual who believe in their purpose and dreams. Despite serving 27 years in prison, Mandela did not give up, he realized his endeavors of ending apartheid, became President of the nation and ensured that peace prevailed.

Leaders and their Styles of Leadership

1. John F. Kennedy

Leadership style: Authoritarian

Authoritarian style of leadership encompasses when a leader acts as a dictator in the implementation of policies, processes, decision-making on what objectives ought to be attained. An authoritarian leader is in charge of direction and control of all the undertakings devoid of any significant involvements of the followers or members. In essence, an authoritarian leader is fully in charge of the team and does not allow great autonomy.

Short Bio

John F. Kenny largely known was born in 1917. JFK became the 35th President of the United States in 1961. Several key events that shaped the future of the United States and the world took place during his time. These include the Cuban Missile Crisis, the creation of the Berlin Wall, and the Civil Rights Movement. One of the major moves of JFK was his stand against racial segregation and championed racial integration. President JFK was assassinated in 1963 (Olugbemiga, 2013).

Famous Quotes

"My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."

Attributes and Accomplishments

Despite the fact that his term as president only lasted about 34 months, John F. Kennedy attained numerous and significant accomplishments particularly in the political realm that he is remembered for, even today. One of them is the prevention of Nuclear Armageddon by signing the Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty. He also set the objective of setting the first human being to land and explore the moon. JFK is also remembered for establishing the Peace Corps (Olugbemiga, 2013).

2. Oprah Winfrey

Leadership style: Transformational

The purpose of transformational leaders is to change the lives of the followers for the better with their decision-making and rulings centered on the evidence of how others are influenced, matters the most (Allen, 2014). Transformational leadership is defined as a style of leadership in which associations and communications between engrossed parties are organized around a shared purpose such that it inspires, alters, and enhances the activities and ethical aims of followers (Simola et al., 2012). In addition, transformational leadership is a style of leadership that endeavors for positive alterations in the followers and that achieves sought after changes through the strategy and structure of the organization (Simola et al., 2012).

Short Bio

Oprah Gail Winfrey was born in 1954 and is a renowned American talk-show host for 'The Oprah Winfrey Show', a producer, actor and also philanthropist. She has since become one of the most influential and acknowledged media personalities in the world in the contemporary times (Allen, 2014).

Famous Quotes

"Don't worry about being successful but work toward being significant and the success will naturally follow."

Attributes and Accomplishments

Oprah Winfrey has come to be one of the most influential and inspiring people in the globe. She is also one of the richest individuals with a net worth of approximately $3 billion. Oprah worked for 25 years in the media industry as the host and producer of 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' and through that became the first African-American billionaire. Despite her tough path, Oprah has been able to form her own television network known as the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). She also has magazine and book publication through O. Magazine and Oprah's Book Club as well as delving in philanthropy through The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy (Arogundande, 2016).

3. Nelson Mandela

Leadership style: Democratic

Democratic leadership is also referred to as participative leadership, whereby the followers or members of the group are encouraged to undertake more involvement and participation in the process of making decisions. All individuals and interested parties involved are given the chance to participate, convey, and interchange ideas freely, and also where motivation of having discussions is set (Cherry, 2016).