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On that historic day on 11 February 1990 when the world's most famous prisoner was released smiling into the South African sunshine, there was one face missing in the crowd of welcoming admirers.
It was mine.
As a journalist who loves to be where the action is when history is made, this was a major disappointment.
After 27 years of imprisonment, I'm not sure if Nelson Mandela ever got over the shock of my absence on his big day.
I certainly haven't.
As a foreign correspondent I had - before the Mandela release - succeeded in getting to some of the right places at the right times when it came to broadcasting the stories of released political prisoners.
Before the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, I travelled to Gdansk in northern Poland on a tourist visa to interview ex-prisoner Lech Walesa - leader of the banned Solidarity free trade union and heroic anti-communist freedom fighter in 1988.
And I got a tricky-to-get Czechoslovakian visa to make it to Prague the following year to report amongst 300,000 people packed into Wenceslas Square when ex-prisoner and future president Vaclav Havel was free to inspire the masses and lead the Velvet Revolution.
So witnessing the leading anti-apartheid icon savour his moment of triumph became the next thing on the "Covering-Ex-Political-Prisoners-To-Do-List".
I was based in the London Bureau of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation at the time when rapid political developments in South Africa meant the release of Nelson Mandela was becoming obviously imminent.
We had the services of local freelancers in South Africa at the time, but no Australian staff correspondent.
My masters wanted me to go to Cape Town to report on the occasion through Australian eyes - and so did I.
So I applied for a visa to be put in my Australian passport at the South African embassy in London.
Alas my application was adversely affected by the fact that Australia - in the years leading up to the Mandela release - had taken a hard line against South Africa's
apartheid system.
It even went as far as refusing to play rugby against the Springboks (a massive sacrifice for Australian sporting fans) as a protest.
So when it came to getting my visa application approved by the unreformed pro-apartheid bureaucrats at the London embassy at Trafalgar Square, they weren't inclined to let it happen.
And happen it didn't.
My claim to be an expert in the art of persuasion hit its limits amidst South African hardline officialdom.
So I ended up watching the Mandela release on TV like practically everyone else in the world.
I did on another occasion get to interview that fabulously good humoured humanitarian and anti-apartheid man of the cloth, Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
This was an inspiring experience - but not quite the same as being present outside the Victor Verster jail on that historic afternoon as prisoner 46664 strolled through the gates.
I do hope Nelson Mandela - before he passed on to a higher place last week - came to grips with the shocking lack of an Australian Broadcasting Corporation staff correspondent on hand to beam back his live commentary to Sydney.
But Mandela was a master of overcoming disappointment and setbacks...so I dare say he's wisely getting on with the next phase of his existence without too many regrets.
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MANDELA - LEARNING FROM A COMMUNICATIONS MASTER
As great leaders tend to be, Mandela was a master communicator.
So there is much we can learn from his approach to getting his message across.
Amidst all the Mandela tributes, one example of great communication stood out.
It was when talking to the media after his release and - not having seen a crowd in 27 years - he was asked about his first impressions as he walked to freedom.
Now he admittedly did have 27 years to plan, prepare and practice most his post-release comments.
But answering this in-the-moment question relied on a high degree of spontaneity.
Mandela replied that what really struck him was that so many white people had come to join the crowd which gathered to see him.
It was not just a good observation.
The reply sent a signal that he was - on his pathway from prisoner to president -preparing the ground for inclusively leading white South Africans as well as the others.
It was the same kind of reconciling behaviour that he repeated when, as president, he donned the green Springbok rugby jersey at the time South Africa hosted - and won - the Rugby World Cup....even though the jersey had previously been seen by the non-white community as a despised symbol of apartheid.
It was great symbolism, great statesmanship and great communication combined.
As an inspiring communicator, Nelson Mandela left us with many other enduring moments we can learn from.
One was his 1964 speech from the dock at his trial where he was convicted of sabotage.
When he declared that he was "prepared to die" for the principles of a free and democratic society he did it with total conviction - and it certainly had an effect!
Here's my other top three Mandela quotes:
"It always seems impossible until it is done."
"If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy.
Then he becomes your partner."
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." |
MANDELA - HOW WE CAN BE LIKE HIM
OK, so not everyone who reads this ezine is likely to be locked up for 27 years and have the opportunity to come out speaking peace, love and forgiveness.
But in searching for the communications hero inside yourself, Mandela has set a magnificent example.
One of the key things about communicating as a leader is that whatever your message is, you are a key part of it.
So look for ways to link an element of your life with your message.
Note how Mandela does this in the following quote:
"It is never my custom to use words lightly. If twenty-seven years in prison have done anything to us, it was to use the silence of solitude to make us understand how precious words are and how real speech is in its impact on the way people live and die."
So whatever your situation in life, when you are communicating something important, look back and seek to highlight something you've done - or which your organisation has done - which is in alignment with what you are advocating or offering.
In my case it's this.
I spent a large chunk of my life as political reporter in Australia - where the journalists are regarded as being especially tough by international standards (sometimes to a fault!).
I was specifically trained as a devil's advocate interviewer to put politicians, business leaders and other public figures under pressure.
The process was described by one Australian political leader as "blowtorch-on-the-belly" questioning.
So I draw on this as a professional speaker and media trainer to say that in my interview response master classes I can subject you to the toughest possible questions for your own good - and then show you how best to answer them.
You can look back at something important in your past and link it to what you are seeking to communicate for the future.
It's a way of ensuring that your communications efforts are more credible, more memorable and more inspiring than they would otherwise be - as Mandela has shown. |
THE POWER OF SELF-DEPRICATION
Another thing which Mandela did so well was deliver a powerful message with humility.
Self-deprecation, if done in the right way, can strengthen rather than weaken your standing.
Take this Mandela quote: "I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying."
Just suppose he started to believe the propaganda that he was a saint. He could easily have been seen as insufferable.
So by expressing modesty he put himself in a far stronger position to convey impressive messages which hit their target and often, eventually, got their desired outcome.
We can aim to do this too.
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"MANDELA, JOBS, BRANSON" - FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT
"Nelson Mandela, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson - Lifting Gold Nuggets From The Communication Masters".
This is my new offering for 45-minute keynotes at conferences, master classes for away days and half-day workshops for business leaders groups.
It looks at what makes great communicators - highlighting examples of their technique from speeches, interviews and other interactions.
The conference keynote version inspires your people to follow the example of the communications masters and incorporate their techniques into their every day interactions with prospects, customers, financiers and staff.
The master class and workshop formats allow participants to put into practice the techniques of Mandela, Jobs and Branson - in their presentations, pitches, interviews and challenging one-to-one conversations.
All versions involve "audience shifting" - moving your people to a place where they are more confident, more empowered and more inspiring in their interactions with others - for the benefit of your image, your teamwork and your sales.
To explore how the sessions can be customised to achieve the results you desire, email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com or phone 44 (0) 7944 952835. |
THE MANDELA NEWS - HEARING IT FIRST
Even though there was every reason to expect Nelson Mandela's death was going to happen about now, it still came as something of a shock.
But I knew about his future death a long, long time before it happened.
As a paper boy on the northern beaches of Sydney I read about his expected imminent death back in the 1970s.
This was a time when Mandela news was incredibly tightly controlled by the South African regime - sometimes giving rise to more speculation than fact.
As an aspiring journalist, one of the plus points of the paper boy's job was to be able to get a free read of the papers in quiet moments.
I remember reading in one of the Sunday papers at the time that Nelson Mandela was set to die because of lung problems.
So the story was kind of true...it was just rather too early.
Sure enough, forty-odd years later alas Mr Mandela did die.
But he certainly succeeded in packing a lot of living and a lot of action into those extra years of life.
It's amazing what a great leader and great communicator can achieve in forty years!
So it's amazing what you can potentially do too. |
LAST WORDS (ALMOST)
The menu for how Michael Dodd Communications can boost your team's ability to get your message across is listed below.
Meanwhile, if you're an English reader, don't take two successive Ashes test defeats too seriously.
If Nelson Mandela can come out of 27 years in jail with his sense of humour in tact then so too can you.
Keep smiling,
Michael |
BOOSTING YOUR COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS:
THE MENU
CONFERENCE KEYNOTES:
Becoming Inspirational Business Communicators
www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/Inspirational_Business_Communicators.php
Mastering The Media - With Balls
www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/international_speaking.php
Have I Got News For Your Company - Preparing For Media Emergencies
www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/international_speaking.php
MASTER CLASSES FOR BUSINESS LEADERS GROUPS AND AWAY DAYS:
Giving Great Answers To Tough Questions
Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch
Presenting With Confidence, Impact and Pizzazz
Position Your Business For Free Media Publicity
Create Your Own Webcasts
Your Message In Sixty Seconds
www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/workshops_for_business_leaders_groups.php
MEDIA MASTER CLASSES - TO ENHANCE YOUR INTERVIEW RESPONSE SKILLS:
www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/media_training.php
RIPSNORTING CUSTOMISED AFTER DINNER SPEECHES:
Tales and Tips from Six Continents
www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/international_speaking.php
Australian-Style Sledging And Heckling For Beginners
Email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com
to set up a conversation on how this can bring your event alive.
PROGRAMMES TO TRANSFORM THE COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS OF YOUR TEAM:
www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/transform_communication_skills.php
EXCLUSIVE ONE-TO-ONE COMMUNICATIONS COACHING:
Become That Inspirational Business Leader In A Day
www.michaeldoddcommunications.com/inspirational_CEO.php
There is a special offer on this running to 16 January 2014.
Email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com to find out how it applies to you.
MAKE YOUR TEAM LOOK SOUND AND FEEL GREAT:
Making_Your_Team_Look,_Sound_and_Feel_Great
SKYPE OR TELEPHONE SESSIONS TO GET YOU READY:
Sessions - typically an hour, but entirely flexible - to get you ready for specific communications challenges...pitches, presentations, interviews and tough professional conversations.
Email enquiries@michaeldoddcommunications.com for details - and, where possible, send a range of dates and timeslots that will work for you.
SUPERCHARGING YOUR COMPANY NEWSLETTER:
Creating, Overhauling or Polishing Your Newsletter - to target the results you want. To discuss the possibilities telephone 44 (0) 7944 952835 |
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