David Feldt. Finding meaning in the noise. Innovating within the social business web. Proud father. Entrepreneur. Builder.

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I was born in South Africa and left the country in 1984 during the darkest time of Apartheid. When I left, I didn't see any hope for the country. It appeared to be headed for ruin.  Little did I know. For me, Nelson Mandela represents the highest order of humankind. Here is a man who spent 27 years behind bars fighting against the evil of Apartheid and when he emerged from prison to become the President of South Africa in 1994, what did he do? Instead of pursuing a path of vengeance and retribution (as most people feared and what a lesser man would have chosen), he pursued a path of reconciliation and unity. His leadership and example actualized one of the most powerful miracles in human history - He transformed an entire nation. I have always marveled at how Mandela, who had gone through so much personal pain, loss and anguish, could rise above it all, become such a powerful leader and force for positive change. He pursued the "heroic path" as described in David Lapin's new book, Lead by Greatness, How character can power your success. As we approach 2012, the world is facing major challenges and we seem to have lost all faith and trust in our leaders and institutions, be they political or corporate. We are all searching for new models, new paradigms and new structures for the post-industrial age.  We've exhausted our natural resources, our financial resources and exploited our technology. What's the next frontier of innovation and growth? Humanity itself, or more specifically, our human character. This is the thesis of David Lapin's book and it is profound. He shows us how we can all become heroic leaders and transform ourselves, those around us and ultimately our entire world. Mandela demonstrates the eight character traits that David Lapin discusses in his book: Authenticity, destiny, mastery, humility, vulnerability, generosity, awareness and wisdom. Too many leaders today have tipped the scale in the other direction with stories in the news every day about some new scandal, ponzi scheme or corrupt behavior. We obviously need more people like Mandela. People who have the courage, vision and resolve to take the heroic path. People with similar character traits to help lead us to a better place. David Lapin's book provides us with a unified roadmap that can take all of us on this much needed heroic journey. He fuses together ancient spiritual principles, modern business philosophy and twenty years of practical, global application to provide us with the roadmap. This book should be mandatory reading for all of us who seek to transform our own life and the institutions we build.