Raising the bar in leadership

The competent 21st century leader is not promoting mediocrity, ignorance, and himself or herself. He or she is committed to excellence and to inspiring others to do their utmost in their area of competence.  Above all, a real leader displays consistently the characteristics and attributes of warmth, of caring for others, of humility, modesty, compassion and altruism. In addition, he or she has the courage to swim in the strong stream, to wade into the deeper water, and to move into an area where it will be impossible to succeed without teamwork. He or she depends on others and not just on his or her abilities. Clearly, a successful leader is not a hedonist or a self-centered megalomaniac who thinks he or she can control the world.