Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The author is an Afrikaans-speaking, white male person, who was previously an extreme, selfdeclared racist. The author was also a member of an elite unit in one of the right-wing political organisations, which resulted in being author arrested during the 1994 National South African elections. The author transformed from being an extreme self-declared racist to become a person who respects and appreciate racial diversity. The author conducted a reflective autoethnographic study from his personal life experiences, which is complemented with critical feedback from people whom the author holds in high esteem. Feedback was gathered in order to identify the transformation process, which the author experienced in the quest of becoming an authentic leader. The aspects identified in the transformation process enabled the author to understand what is required in the future to become a truly authentic, value-based leader. This research study could assist white Afrikaans-speaking people and the broader community of South African people to transform towards acceptance and appreciation of racial diversity.