I want to start by saying that Nelson Mandela is—as was—the greatest leader of all time (GOAT). I will now discuss the three other leaders I admired.
As we grow up and move through life, we encounter people who make a difference in our lives. As you all know by now, I came to South Africa from a very young age. What I needed was adults who could guide me through the difficult years of puberty, exploration, and learning life lessons.
Luckily—or fortunately—I got into a great school that was very focused on raising young boys with good manners and respect. To be honest, there were times when I felt that the school was too pedantic about small things, like tucking your shirt in, keeping your socks up below the knee at all times, and never having your hands in your pockets.
As I grew older and started my leadership journey, I began to appreciate the fact that small things matter.
That brings me to the first leader and his style of leadership.
1) Rudolph Giuliani
He was a practicing lawyer and was the mayor of New York from 1994–2001. He implemented the “Broken Window” policy in New York with great success.
The theory is that if there are small visible signs of crime and disorder—like broken glass, graffiti, and drinking in public—it creates an environment that encourages further crime and disorder. Neglecting minor issues can signal a lack of community care and control.
Isn’t this the same in our lives? When we neglect small things—like being clean, exercising, eating healthy food—then suddenly other parts of our lives get impacted significantly.
If you have no respect for yourself and the way you look and feel, then you are on a slippery slope. Look after the small things, and the big things will follow.
2) Hakainde Hichilema (HH)
HH is—and was—a farmer before becoming the 7th President of Zambia in 2021. He contested all five elections before that—in 2006, 2008, 2011, 2015, and 2016.
His never-say-die attitude and his determination are incredible assets to Zambia. The other character trait that I admire about him is that he is a man of his word. If he says he is going to do something, then he does it.
He threw many of the previous regime’s leaders in jail because of corruption. Honesty and integrity are crucial in leadership.
3) Theodore Roosevelt
This is my third leader—and probably only because he was a great narrator.
I first came across his speeches and quotes when one of my coaches gave us “The Man in the Arena.” I think it is the single most important quote I have ever come across, and it has meant a lot to me over the last 20 years since I retired from rugby.
The quote is now more relevant than ever, with social media and the people who think it is okay to annihilate someone who is just trying to get better.
Building Your Own Style
I can think of about ten more leaders that I respect, but I think it is important to take the good from all the different leaders and build your own way of leading.
Leading yourself remains the single most important job you have every day.
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If you would like to get in touch with me about my key note presentation, Debunking Motivation, please send an email to corne@cornekrige.com. Visit my website to review my speaker sheet for more info. I also share my story on my social media pages on Facebook and LinkedIn.