Louis Riel
By Tu Tran
Introduction
Courage is not the Absence of Fear
Despite being aware of the consequences and the fact that his reputation to non-followers would be stained, Riel chose to go through with the execution. To say that he wasn't fearful of the consequences (one of which was his own eventual execution) would likely be a lie. Instead, he chose to put on a courageous face to rally all of his supporters behind him even further and give them courage and strength as well, and their energy in turn would give Riel the strength to fight his own fears, which is what one of Mandela's leadership lessons is about.
Keep your friends close - and your rivals even closer
By seeking peaceful negotiations, Louis Riel wanted to get on the good side of his opposition, the Canadian Confederation. By becoming close enough to them, he would be able to keep an eye on them as they are more dangerous outside of his influence than within. In doing so, he would also improve his public appearance, and possibly gain an even greater influence among his rivals. However, fire was fought with fire, and this did not last.
Nothing is black and white
Bibliography
- "Louis Riel." The Canadian Encyclopedia. HistoricaCanada. Published March 22, 2013. Web. Accessed September 18, 2014. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/louis-riel/
- "Red River: Uprising." Rivers of Canada. Unknown Publishing Date. Web. Accessed September 21, 2014. http://www.cgeducation.ca/resources/rivers_of_canada/red_river/uprising.asp
- "Louis Riel." CBCNews. CBC/Radio Canada, Unknown Publishing Date. Web. Accessed September 21, 2014. http://www.cbc.ca/history/EPCONTENTSE1EP9CH2PA1LE.html