Cross-cultural lessons from Invictus.

This past week brought back memories of last January when I wondered over and over again why it is necessary for me to be in Minnesota in winter. Snow is back, and it is cold out there. It is so cold that I dont want to get out of the house at all. If it were possible for me to study and write my papers at home, I would have my own winter hibernation, to get back to the Upper Campus in May. Unfortunately, I cant.

So to get myself ready for the week, knowing fully well that my week days are pretty monotonous, I decided to take a few friends to the cinema, (theater?) to see Invictus. It is a monster of a movie. Clint Eastwood did a brilliant job directing the film. Morgan Freeman is the best "Nelson Mandela" you will ever see in a movie. From accent to walk, Freeman is perfect. Matt Damon is one of my favorite actors. I got to like him so much because of the Bourne Trilogy, no wonder I wanted him to snick in some martial arts. But above all, Mandela's excellent leadership is what makes this film a must-see for all students of leadership, especially those interested in cross-cultural leadership. The story itself is one of the most powerful positive stories ever to come out of Africa in these years.

My favorite line (paraphrased): "The rainbow nation starts here ... Forgiveness starts here too." Multicultural leadership is more action and less words!