Global Enhance Macau Network

My name is Nelson Mandela, and I have had an unsual life. I have been both a prisoner and a president in my country. I was born in 1918 in the small village of Qunu in the Transkei, which is a large territory (like a state) in south africa. My father, Henry Mandela, was a chief of our tribe, the Tembus. As a child, I took care of the family’s cattle and goats and fished in the Bashee River near our village. I decided to become a lawyer because this seemed to be the best way to help my people. After I became a lawyer, I became the leader of a group of young Africans who wanted to change the system of discrimination in our country. Because of my political activities, I was arrested and sent to prison. I spent twenty-seven years in prison. I spent most of those years on Rogen Island, a cold, windy island in the Atlantic Ocean. The world did not forget about me while I was in prison, however. I received important visitors, awards, and university degrees from all over the world. I also learned Afrikaans, which is the language of White South Africans. Of course I also speak English and Xhosa, which is the Tembu language. At last, I was set free in 1990, and I became the President of South Africa in 1994. Now I will try to bring peace, democracy, and prosperity to all of my country’s people.

By : Nelson Mandela

Nothing was impossible then - because you didn’t know any better!

Nowadays, if you even catch a glimpse of yourself daring to think bigger, you stop that thought immediately.

How dare your mind think big? Doesn’t it know its place?

Remember when you were young? All those thoughts and dreams you had?

You could start with some small shifts - think just slightly bigger - a comfier chair in the office, that kind of thing.

But chances are that won’t really do much and your mind will start to hem you in again at the first available opportunity.

Instead, set a big goal and break it down into lots of small steps. In much the same way that you wouldn’t take a walk in one giant leap.

Then make sure that you complete at least one of these steps each day. At first, you may need to force yourself to do them. Then, after a few weeks, they’ll start to become habit.

Keep a chart or a spreadsheet of your main goal and all those small steps you need to take to accomplish the big goal. Mark off each step as soon as you’ve done it so that your mind gets the idea that this time you’re really serious about your big thoughts. Otherwise it will think that you’re daydreaming again!

Do this process a few times and you’ll find yourself naturally thinking bigger and bigger - and accomplishing the goals as well.

Here are the 7 tips:

Be Healthy and fit: As a leader your job is demanding. A fit and healthy body and mind are definitely essential to cope with the workload and the pressure from the people at the workplace. One of the reasons why Obama is chosen as the next president of America is because he is younger, more energetic and fitter.

Lifelong learning: In order to stay on top of what is going on you need to constantly expose yourself to new ideas that affect your job. New concepts, new practices and new procedures are continuously replacing the old ways of doing things. Keeping yourself up-to-date by ongoing learning is the only way to survive in the corporate world.

Stress management: Stress at the workplace is inevitable. When you have a problem do what you can to tackle it and move on to the next one. This is the practical way out rather than just worrying about the problems

Take initiative: When something needs to be done and you have the authority just go ahead and do it. Do not pass the problem to your boss and to be told what to do

Do less and supervise more: Delegate more of your work by training and coaching the workers. Encourage them to make independent decisions and give them more assignment when they are more capable. Check their work from time to time and show your appreciation when a job is done.

Human relationships: Treat your staff like normal human beings and be a good listener. Your staff will respect you more when they can discuss their problems with you. Be honest and truthful to the staff.

Be Competent: As an expert in your field you are automatically given a certain amount of authority. People will listen to you to get the job done. The more able you are the more willing the staff will follow your direction