It is more shocking by what is to the observers and followers of Mandela’s leadership. Features assigned to Mandela are more aptly described as projections and side effects. Those characteristics are projections other than unitive perspective and not characteristics of Mandela (Habermas, 1995). What separates nelsons Mandela‘s leadership from most other leaders in the world is not only based on the presence of lauded features such as forgiveness and humility? It is a lack of distinction that makes the appearance of such characteristics at the first perspective.

In the absence of concomitant relationship and necessary distinction to understand as an illusion the approach that Mandela took to involve all people in the country in the development of new South Africa. The key to understanding his leadership role in the transition period of the country from the apartheid regime is through the irony of believing from the unitive perspective. While Cook- Greuter’s ego development model was utilized in assessing the leader’s development, his approach will not be included in the paper (Asmal, Chidester and James, 2003). However, the idea of unitive development will be extending, having in mind that Cook- Greuter herself accepted that it was not quite evident that unitive development mechanism could be explained or measured. Only a better understanding of the unitive level of development is required to evaluate the life of Nelson Mandela.

Experiences have however indicated that attempts to discuss unitive development as will be in the paper leads to experiences in ironies, paradoxes, and contradictions. Various studies have also suggested that if contradictions, irony, and paradoxes are not experienced then the individual may not be focusing on unitive development but instead projecting understanding on unitive development (Bateson, 2002).&nbsp.