Some business leaders have a more widespread impact than others. What distinguishes those who have the greatest influence? Are they simply lucky -- the right people at the right time? Or do these leaders possess at their core a common set of characteristics that gives them the potential to be great? How much is the person and how much is the situation?
This is a false debate. Like many exercises in the study of great leadership, no one answer can stand on its own.
To help unravel this mystery, I have looked to the past to see what we can learn or unlearn from great business leaders, and I have studied present leaders in various arenas to better understand what has worked and what has not worked.
Clearly, context is important. Business leaders who have been sensitive to context possess what Nitin Nohria and I call contextual intelligence. Not only do these leaders understand the implications of the contextual forces that surround them, they also have the ability to adapt and change their leadership style and approach as environmental conditions evolve. Success in one realm does not always translate into success in another. Indeed, relying on past models of success without being sensitive to the context of the situation has often yielded major disappointments.
While there has been much research on personal characteristics of leaders, there is considerably less focus on macro-level environmental factors which can impede or accelerate success. In this space, I hope to build a discussion on what it will take to lead successfully in the 21st century -- specifically what it will take to be a great business leader. Is our definition of great business leaders the same as it was 100 years ago? What about just a decade ago? How will the evolving context shift our definition of great leadership? What will it take to lead in a more globally diverse world? I hope you will join me and share your insights and opinions on great business leadership.
Posted by Tony Mayo on July 3, 2007 2:14 PM
1 comment:
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