Richard Stengel seems to suggest that being a hypocrite is being worse than a being a contradict - which is what Mandela seems to be in his eyes, for at least being a contradict is human, and being a hypocrite stoops you a level lower because you are perfectly aware of your contradictory actions. For the sake of simplicity I'll write down the 'lessons' that appealed most.
Time and time again we see this value, perhaps told in a different fashion and in a different light; courage. And in the book it is iterated that courage is not the absence of fear but putting up a front of valour even though you're (rhetorically) wetting your pants. Also along this vein, Mandela who is conscious about first impressions, is very particular when it comes to 'looking the part'. Trying to reconcile with the sentiments of a leader, it would be shallow to judge someone on first impression, but the harsh reality is that everyone does it, and that first few seconds imprints the image of the man in one's mind and last almost indefinitely. With that in mind, Mandela justifies splurging on fancy clothes and putting up a courages front when meeting with important people.
I also found that while Mandela endorses 'Seeing the Good in Others' and is like a personal mantra to enrich one's view in life, realistically, it only gets yourself hurt when you're too trusting in someone else that you do not see their hidden agenda. Mandela also admits to have been betrayed but never ceasing to see the good in others.
As the old saying goes, 'Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer'. Mandela adheres to this almost strictly, except with a slight tweak - he keeps enemies close (one example is when he placed a member of the opposition in the cabinet so he can have close tabs on him) but at the cost of unwaveringly distancing himself from friends and family (due to the course of his work, he would justify). It would also seem that Mandela is down with using others as tools to reach his goal (while the goal of a better nation is noble, the means where he admits using others to reach the goal begs the question of morality), namely using people like de Clerk and speaking Afrikaans to gain the support from the other side.
I found the chapters of 'Lead from the Front' and 'Lead from the Back' almost identical, save for slight change in wordings - essentially advocating to know when to be at the front to lead and knowing when to step back and watch seeds of leadership come to fruition.
Mandela was a fan of gray areas - for a yes-or-no question, more often than not, he'll reply with a 'maybe', 'it's both' or something to that effect. Mandela appreciates that the two extremes are certain, but at times can be too harsh, and prefers to accept that for most problems, there is always a bit of both.
The final lesson is called 'Find Your Own Garden', and to Mandela, it was taken quite literally. While imprisoned, after months of protocol, he finally managed to have a plot of land by his cell to plant vegetables (mainly to supplement his and the diet of other prisoners with veggies together with the cornmeal and occasional slab of meat they would have). Tending to his garden while in prison also gave him a lot of time to think and strategize where he claims to have found peace. While not all of us have spare soil for gardening, he urges people to find things they really love most and indulge in it, at least for a moment in a day to escape from the harsh reality of the world. One may argue that this move is no different than running away from one's problems but who's to judge?
All-in-all a mediocre book which gave insights to what Mandela is like from the perspective of Richard Stengel while dipping one's toes into the realm of African politics.
