On December 5, 2013, the world mourns the loss of one of the greatest gifts humanity has ever endowed to itself: Nelson Mandela. Father of a nation. Nobel Peace Prize winner. Anti-apartheid pioneer. Merchant of peace. Philanthropist. Modern hero.
In the wake of his passing, people all over the world have nothing but good words for the former South African leader and his legacy that will be forever engraved in history.
Many people call Mandela as a true “sales person” because he embodied the traits of someone who not only stands true to the things he believed in, but also has the influence and perseverance to move others around him to do the same thing.
“When people are determined, they can overcome anything.”
Determination in business is a rare value to come by. A lot of business owners tend to expect instant gratification not realizing that most of the time, success comes with a great deal of patience and perseverance. Mandela never abandoned his campaign against racial discrimination up until his dying days. That’s why the impact of his deeds are long-lasting; it’s because he put a lot of work into it.
“Difficulties break some men but make others.”
After being imprisoned for 27 years, most of us wouldn’t even dare to repeat the same things we got imprisoned for. That didn’t stop Mandela from continuing his fight as if nothing happened. The measure of a business’s success is not always about winning; more often it’s about how many times it was able to pick itself up after a fall.
”A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.”
An idea will remain an idea if not shared with the world. Marketers have the crucial task of developing a business message and packaging it for the world to behold.
“One cannot be prepared for something while secretly believing it will not happen.”
A little bit of optimism goes a long way. If Mandela didn’t believe he was fighting for something that’s worthy of his sacrifices, he wouldn’t have went on. You have to believe in what you do to be able to see it through the end.
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
The thing that cripples most businesses is the lack of ambition. A business that refuses to take risks and venture into new prospects can easily be left behind. Without guts, there would be no glory – and Mandela is the epitome of guts.
This content originally appeared at Callbox Blog.
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