Nelson Mandela: The Art of Negotiation
Above: A smile for the ages.
Nelson Mandela.
South Africa’s first President elected through true representative democracy.
An icon of social justice, unwavering principles, and the power of unity through reconciliation. He is the recipient of over 250 honors, including the Nobel Peace Prize.
Revolutionary. Political leader. Philanthropist. President. Prisoner.
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Working as a lawyer, Mandela commits himself to African national politics. He is the voice of opposition to the white-only Government established by apartheid, a racially segregated political system.
Mandela is unyielding in his defiance of the oppressive apartheid Government. In 1962 he is arrested for conspiracy to overthrow the state. The sentence: prison for life.
His incarceration begins.
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Mandela is offered release multiple times over the course of his imprisonment.
The terms are simple: denounce your political beliefs. Stop your advocacy. You will live out a simple, quiet life. Agree to these terms, and you are released.
Mandela reflects on the proposal.
Their terms are not a release into freedom—only further bondage. A bondage designed to neutralize the impact of his purpose.
Mandela’s bold response:
“Only free men can negotiate”.
He will die in prison for his principles before abandoning them to an artificial “freedom”.
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27 years later; 1990.
The pressure to free Mandela is tremendous. Fearing racial civil war, President F. W. de Klerk releases him. 27 years in prison. The sentence is now over.
President de Klerk and Mandela negotiate an end to apartheid. A multi-racial election follows in 1994.
Mandela is elected President.
Few historical figures have been such powerful agents of change. Mandela, through his negotiating strategy, changed the world.
Let’s explore his strategy, looking at Mandela’s inner and out approach.
Inner approach:
“As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.”
How natural to seek revenge, justice, and punitive measures against his captors. With relentless courage, Mandela abandons these impulses entirely.
His path forward, in his own words, would be that of goodness and forgiveness.
The task ahead will not accommodate deeply harbored feelings of resentment.
For Mandela, the outward change he seeks starts within.
Abandon animosity. Walk in forgiveness, and compassion, and comradery.
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We now examine Mandela’s outer approach.
“A good leader can engage in a debate frankly and thoroughly, knowing that at the end he and the other side must be closer, and thus emerge stronger. You don't have that idea when you are arrogant, superficial, and uninformed.”
Mandela’s belief: meet with your opposition. Not from a position of power, authority, and your version of justice—but from a position of shared humanity and higher purpose.
The leadership lesson is this.
True agents of influence share this belief:
Outward progress begins within.
It does not begin with “them”.
It begins with you, and I—here, and now.
We set aside animosity. We abandon the base desires of revenge, and punishment, and justice.
World changers know:
The best in us brings out the best in others.
We do not compromise our values. We do not compromise core beliefs. We do listen with open hearts and minds to the opposition, seeking solutions that benefit both parties.
It’s a mindset shift from us vs. them to…
US.
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Negotiation Tactics
Define your lowest acceptable range BEFORE entering negotiations. This removes getting caught up in the fever and allowing too many concessions. Before starting, you’ve internally established your bottom line. Do not waver.
Ask for more. Negotiating down allows the other side to feel you are making concessions based on their influence. Allow this. Ask for more up front, then appear to meet in the middle—which in truth of fact is the outcome originally desired.
3. Look for creative win/win solutions. Can a low-cost concession in one area add value to the other side? Service on top of the sale? What other factors can we consider? Work together for mutually beneficial solutions.
4. This is the most important: be willing to walk away. Yes, you care; yes, you want to find agreeable terms. But ultimately, you are very willing to walk. Take a step back—and watch them take two steps forward.
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In Mandela’s own words:
“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”
Nelson Mandela has done his part to Build Heaven.
He has shown us the road.
Let us now take it.
Mark Joseph Huckabee
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
Rest in peace, Madiba. We’ll see you there.
