The 20th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s release from prison has me thinking about the morning after his election as president of South Africa. I was his first appointment of the day — the first hand he shook outside the small circle of family, friends and aides in his hotel suite in downtown Johannesburg.

I was there to interview Mandela for NBC News. One of the questions I asked was about his goals upon assuming office. His answer astounded me. “Regular trash pickup in Soweto,” he said — and I’m afraid I looked back at him with a blank stare. I had been expecting something lofty — perhaps something a bit more global in scale. I was dumbstruck by how modest it was. But I’d spent time in Soweto, and after I left him that day, the more I thought about it, I understood it. The comment — that modest goal — was vintage Mandela: achieve what you can, working within the system. Save the big reach, the grand gesture, for extraordinary circumstances.

He had lived through extraordinary circumstances. He understood then what has destroyed the careers of lesser people and politicians, of big-city Mayors and Governors and Members of Congress. Take care of the people, see to their daily quality of life. Lead by example, governing is personal when done right.

I went back to Soweto with my family last year. We spent time one afternoon with a family in their home — a tin-roof structure about the size of the average hotel bathroom in New York. It was neat and tidy, and my daughter quickly struck up a conversation with a cheerful little girl, who took her by the hand and positively bounced as she walked. As often happens with American visitors, we ended up walking with a phalanx of young kids following behind us, peppering us with questions. It was a beautiful day. We were sad to leave, but happy to see modest signs of progress since my last visit: the trash is getting picked up on a regular basis.

For further reading, check out this MSNBC timeline of the life of Nelson Mandela.