Nelson Mandela, Turnaround Leader

Rosabeth M. Kanter; Euvin  Naidoo

Case | HBS Case Collection | September 2003

Nelson Mandela, Turnaround Leader

Abstract

Nelson Mandela was the first democratically elected president of South Africa. He had to shift the culture of a country after the end of the apartheid regime, which enforced separation of the races and stifled freedom of the press. He established more open dialogue, encouraged communication about past abuses without taking revenge, created new relationships among people, and focused on economic empowerment for the black majority. Data on South Africa's economic and social performance can be used to weigh the accomplishments of this leader and leadership style.

Keywords: Leadership; Government and Politics; Governance; Policy; Political Elections; Culture; Communication Intention and Meaning; Relationships; Leadership Style; Welfare or Wellbeing; South Africa;

Language: English

Format: Print

31 pages

Educators

Citation:

Kanter, Rosabeth M., and Euvin Naidoo. "Nelson Mandela, Turnaround Leader." Harvard Business School Case 304-035, September 2003.

From 2008-2010 Anand Piramal ran a series of pilots for his digital healthcare startup, Piramal e-Swasthya (PeS) to “democratize healthcare” in rural areas of India. PeS ran into difficulties so Anand Piramal had to decide whether to continue the organization and if so how. In 2010, an unexpected opportunity emerged that could have significant implications for PeS’s organizational structure and future prospects. Anand Piramal now faced several options for PeS. He needed to weigh the pros and cons of each option to make the best decision to fulfill his vision of providing quality healthcare services to “bottom-of-the-pyramid” populations. This case exemplifies the strategic decisions an entrepreneur must make to ensure that a social impact venture can be sustainable and scalable.

In 2010, Anand Piramal acquired the Health Management Research Institute (HMRI), a healthcare venture, and merged it with his original digital healthcare startup Piramal e-Swasthya (PeS), so that PeS became Piramal Swasthya. After acquiring HMRI, Piramal Swasthya scaled across 20 Indian states and became India’s largest private primary healthcare initiative by implementing public-private partnerships with state governments. In 2012, Anand Piramal stepped down as CEO of Piramal Swasthya, leading to organizational change and a healthcare strategy focused on improving maternal health amongst India’s most vulnerable populations. This case shows how an organization can achieve innovation at scale through cross-sector collaboration.

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Nelson Mandela, Turnaround Leader

Abstract

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