I’m currently reading the book Mandela’s Way – Lessons on Life and to my great delight “It’s always both” is the heading of one of the chapters.
The book, written by Richard Stengel (who helped Mandela write his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom), lists and describes Mandela’s 15 messages for life and leadership.
More on Mandela’s 15 messages in the next Value Adding newsletter (out soon). But for now I can’t let the sun set on today without writing a blog about Mandela’s belief in “it’s always both” because it matches my commitment to do my best to live in an “and/both” way. Indeed, my business is called AnD Consulting to represent this way of being and doing.
However, as I’ve learned, it can be hard to live this way and to explain to others what it looks like in action. So I was heartened to read this chapter earlier this morning.
Stengel: Shades of gray are not easy to articulate. Black-and-white is seductive because it is simple and absolute. .. This way of thinking is demanding … it requires us to put ourselves in the shoes of those with whom we disagree. .. But the reward, as we can see in the case of Mandela, is something that can fairly be described as wisdom.
Yes!! As I juggle my hats of home duties and business owner on this mid winter Monday by writing this blog between getting washing in the machine and onto the line I celebrate Mandela and thank Richard Stengel for this piece.
What are your thoughts on Mandela’s “it’s always both” belief?
Tags: and consulting, long walk to freedom, nelson mandela, vision coaching
