Twenty-six years ago, on Feb. 11, 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from the Victor Verster high security prison after 27 years of incarceration. Apartheid was coming to an end, and South Africa was moving from an age of color discrimination to universal equality -- at least constitutionally. That South Africa is still trying to work out the kinks in this idea of equality, and has many hurdles ahead, takes nothing away from the greatness of the man who has since become an epitome of freedom, equality and dignified struggle.
When Mandela passed away in 2013, his funeral was perhaps the most power-packed funeral witnessed in the last century. The huge line-up of Heads of States and dignitaries testifies to the influence this single man has had on the collective psyche of humanity in the last 40 years.
Mandela became a giant in his own time. But he was always humble and dignified -- the antithesis of a dominating leader. His subtle style of leadership has many lessons in it for today's leaders. His idea of leadership was as much about delivering results as it was about uplifting those who worked and strove with him. His experience of discrimination ensured that he never allowed immediate situations to overshadow the true purpose of his activity, to create a world where there is space for everyone to live a life of dignity.
He was also one who never differentiated on the "big" or "small" things. He certainly prioritized activities on the basis of urgency and need, but once involved in anything, he never treated one situation as less than the other. This is illustrated in a beautiful quote of Nelson Mandela's: "The habit of attending to small things and of appreciating small courtesies is one of the important marks of a good person." He certainly strove to live up to that mark.
Today, as the world battles climate change, religious bigotry and rising intolerance, world leaders have much to learn from this South African hero. His fundamental message was that unless we learn to put aside our differences and work together, we will never create a better world. To hold grudges against each other does neither party any good. It is only through forgiveness and a genuine desire to move ahead that enemies can turn into friends. Whether it is India and Pakistan, Israel and Palestine, or many other political and regional hotspots around the planet, the leaders of these nations would do their people a world of good if they applied Mandela's words of wisdom to their respective situations.
Madiba, as Nelson Mandela was affectionately and respectfully known, left a legacy that humanity needs to build on. Mandela himself took forward the work of Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. in creating a world where hate has no place; a world where every individual is granted the birthright to live a life of freedom, dignity and pride; a world where we respect each other's values and ethics, irrespective of the color of our skin or the faith we follow. I hope the leaders of today's world carry forward and build on this wonderful legacy.