In the movie Invictus, I watched Nelson Mandela turn the heart of Francois Pienaar , the captain of the Springbok, South Africa’s national rugby team that was discouraged with no hope of playing the rugby world cup finals, let alone winning them. In one of the most powerful scenes, Mandela played by Morgan Freeman invites Francois, played by Matt Damon for tea. He strikes a conversation that perhaps was the single most important conversation that turned the rugby team from a failing weak team to winning the 1995 world cup. Mandela infuses a huge doze of courage as he tells Francois that when things got really bad for him as a prisoner on Robben Island, he drew courage from a Victorian Poem, Invictus, by William Ernest Henley. As he ended that powerful scene, Mandela tells Francois; “We need inspiration Francois, because in order to build our nation, we must all exceed our own expectations.”( The movie Invictus).

Courage is one of the most potent tools in a leader’s tool box without which it is practically impossible to lead effectively. The profound lesson William Ernest Henley teaches me a leader is having the courage to face the most dire of situations. It is part of leadership to steer the ship of an organization or a church in stormy waters sometime, it is tough and many a time scary but it is necessary. Courage is needed when the tide is against the leader and often times in the midst of fear.

The impact the tough life and writings of William Ernest Henley is profound as it has helped find strength in the moments I have had to courageously challenge the status quo of tradition in my church even as I have led the youth ministry. It has taken courage to confront my leaders on new ways of looking at ministry to young people in Rwanda. It has taken courage for me to try out unexplored territories by starting new programs out of the norm in order to serve the youth effectively. It hasn’t been without its resistance and sometimes ridicule from some but it has borne fruit later to the appraisal of those who once were against it. It is said that, courage is not the absence of fear but the mastery of it.(Mark Twain)

References

‘Invictus’, Nelson Mandela and Francois Pienaar scene from the movie Invictus.

Mark Twain quotation.

William Ernest Henley, as recited in Light from Many Lamps by Lillian Eichler Watson Pg 85-87. Published by Simon & Schuster NY