Piper Trust Hosts Author Richard Stengel, Inspires Leaders from His Time with Nelson Mandela

Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust hosted and presented a special engagement with Richard Stengel, author of “Mandela’s Way: Lessons for an Uncertain Age” on March 20, 2024.

Keynote Speaker: Richard Stengel

Notable Moments: Piper Fellow Denise Resnik helped to organize this event, which brought award-winning journalist, author and political analyst Richard Stengel to Phoenix for a special talk with Piper Fellows. Stengel, the former Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs in the Obama administration, discussed lessons in leadership in a room filled with courageous leaders from our community’s nonprofit sector.

“There are thousands of kinds of leadership — moral, spiritual, physical courage,” he said, before recounting lessons he learned from Nelson Mandela. In the 90s, before serving in government, Stengel was the editor of “TIME” magazine, and collaborated with Mandela on his bestselling autobiography, “Long Walk to Freedom.”

In one example, Stengel recounted being on a plane with Mandela when the propeller stopped. Mandela calmly said, “Richard, you might want to inform the pilot that the propeller isn’t working.” Only after the plane had safely landed did Mandela admit, “Man, I was terrified.”

A Q&A followed, with questions about Mandela and leadership — particularly in the nonprofit field. With an audience that included Piper Fellows and various special guests, Stengel provided an educated point of view about the life of the anti-apartheid activist, politician and statesman while answering a range of powerful questions. Over lunch, attendees discussed their own calls to leadership and had the chance to have Stengel sign his book.

Photos courtesy of Alyssa Ryan Photography