Mandela

To be the right man at the right time is more than most of us can expect. Mandela, one-time commander of the armed wing of the ANC, wasn't exactly a saint, and some of the things he said in recent years were sad to hear. But he and his brave colleague de Klerk sponsored a transformation I didn't believe was possible: a peaceful power transition after oppression. And the Truth and Reconciliation committees worked wonders--though the model has failed in other countries. There are still huge divisions and poisons at work in South Africa, notably the totalitarian wing of the ANC, but just to have solved the apartheid problem was a huge accomplishment. Other knots were for the later generations (who have unfortunately not distinguished themselves as well).

He had the endurance and commitment and the drive to peaceful resolution they needed.