What an apartheid activist taught me about brave leadership

When I sat down with former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, I knew it was going to be a profound moment.

President Motlanthe has lived through some of the most difficult periods in South Africa’s history. Involved in the anti-apartheid movement as a young man, he spent almost a decade imprisoned on Robben Island alongside Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners for his role in the struggle against apartheid. He would later become Secretary General of the African National Congress and serve as the third President of democratic South Africa, earning a reputation for calm, principled leadership and thoughtful negotiation. Now, President Motlanthe is a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, which works to advance evidence-based and people-centred drug policies and to promote approaches that prioritize health, safety and wellbeing.

I asked President Motlanthe what first drew him into activism: "It wasn't that we joined politic", he told me. "Politics found us.”

Under apartheid, pass laws severely restricted where Black South Africans could live, work and travel, requiring them to carry documents authorising their presence in particular areas. Failing to produce the required documentation could result in arrest. Freedom of movement, work and opportunity were tightly controlled. Faced with that reality, activism became a necessity.

And still, I can’t quite comprehend how it must feel to lose 10 years of your lifeto imprisonment for resisting such a profoundly unjust system. When I asked President Motlanthe how he got through those years, it was remarkable to hear him describe the experience as “enriching”.

He explained how prison became an unlikely university. Those who had been professors, lawyers and teachers shared their knowledge with those who had never had the chance to study. Prisoners taught one another to read. They debated politics, philosophy and history while preparing themselves for the day freedom would come. It was such a powerful reminder that while we cannot always choose our circumstances, we can choose how we respond to them.

I was also keen to understand how President Motlanthe developed the measured, rational approach to leadership for which he became known. His answer really moved me. He said that if you're going to dedicate your life to serving others, you need two hearts.

The first heart carries your compassion, your optimism and your commitment to people. But inevitably, there will be moments when disappointment, frustration or exhaustion make you want to give up. That's when you need your second heart. The one that reminds you who you are, why you started and why walking away isn't an option.

This feels particularly pertinent in today’s world, given the headlines we see each day and the existential challenges we’re up against. In difficult times, the bravest thing you can do is choose not to harden. Don’t grow indifferent, come back to your roots and your purpose, and find your ‘second heart’.

To this day, President Motlanthe continues to bring the same principled and measured approach to his work, including as a member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy. I spoke to him during the Global Commission on Drug Policy’s annual plenary meeting, where Commissioners come together to advance evidence-based and people-centred approaches to drug policy and alternatives to punitive approaches that have failed to deliver better outcomes.

This unwavering commitment to justice, to people, and to never looking the other way is a lesson for leaders everywhere. This conversation will stick with me for many years to come.