Winnie Madikizela-Mandela: psychobiographical lessons learned for leadership in the fourth industrial revolution

This psychobiographical work on Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, as a socio-political activist and woman leader, focuses on her life during apartheid and in post-apartheid South Africa. The main research question is: ‘What lessons can be learned from Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s leadership for South Africa in the Fourth Industrial Revolution?’ The authors apply George’s authentic leadership theory to explore Winnie’s life. The research methodology used is a single psychobiographical case study approach, based on purposeful sampling. Data were collected from public domains and analysed through qualitative content analysis. Research ethics and qualitative quality criteria were applied. Findings present aspects of Winnie’s authentic leadership during her childhood and teenage years, how she became an anti-apartheid activist and leader, and how she continued her fight for social justice and equality even in post-apartheid times. Her authentic leadership qualities and three lessons learned from Winnie’s life and their application in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) are presented based on George’s model. These are: 1) be resilient, 2) fight for social justice, and 3) give a voice. The lessons aim at promoting resilience and mental health, social justice and equality, and the change of hegemonic processes by remembering the voiceless.