Published by:
Harvard Business Publishing
Length: 16 pages
Abstract
We all know that leaders need vision and energy, but after an exhaustive review of the most influential theories on leadership - as well as workshops with thousands of leaders and aspiring leaders - the authors learned that great leaders also share four unexpected qualities: (1) they selectively reveal their weaknesses; (2) they rely heavily on intuition to gauge the appropriate timing and course of their actions; (3) they manage employees with ''tough empathy''; and (4) they capitalize on their differences. All four qualities are necessary for inspirational leadership, but they cannot be used mechanically; they must be mixed and matched to meet the demands of particular situations. Most important, however, is that the qualities encourage authenticity among leaders. To be a true leader, the authors advise, ''Be yourself - more - with skill''.
About
Abstract
We all know that leaders need vision and energy, but after an exhaustive review of the most influential theories on leadership - as well as workshops with thousands of leaders and aspiring leaders - the authors learned that great leaders also share four unexpected qualities: (1) they selectively reveal their weaknesses; (2) they rely heavily on intuition to gauge the appropriate timing and course of their actions; (3) they manage employees with ''tough empathy''; and (4) they capitalize on their differences. All four qualities are necessary for inspirational leadership, but they cannot be used mechanically; they must be mixed and matched to meet the demands of particular situations. Most important, however, is that the qualities encourage authenticity among leaders. To be a true leader, the authors advise, ''Be yourself - more - with skill''.