What It Takes to Be a Great Leader

By MAGDALENA LASKOWSKA (2018)

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3120657

 A great leader is a person, a firm, or an organization that
always goes beyond the well-trodden paths or she or he does the
classics in a truly excellent way. She or he leads a firm, an
organization, or a nation in an unsurpassed way. A great leader is also
limitlessly courageous yet politically wise; a great leader is a great
organizer and she or he is responsive in the highest degree to the
legitimate needs and expectations of other people, firms, or
organizations; a great leader is greatly and truly passionate about what
she or he does; a great leader always acts legally and ethically in the
highest degree and unbendingly requires the same standards of
behavior from other persons, firms, or organizations; finally, a great
leader is authentically and greatly altruistic. Leaders are also certainly
highly dynamic and highly energetic. A sluggish, subnormal person
will never be a real leader. A great leader has great leadership DNA
and she or he constantly learns in elite ways. In this article, I deal with
what it takes to be a great leader.

1. Great Leaders Are Futurists

Great leaders are futurists: they create the future – they do

not merely adapt to it. This is why they are leaders: shaping the future
is their raison d’être.1 As the Da Vinci Institute put it cogently, the
futurist thinker does not stand by and she or he does not depend on the
predictions of others to define their thinking.2 She or he does not rely
on the projection of market trends, but they create trends and markets.
1
In general, common people are different. Milan Kundera once said:
People are always shouting they want to create a better future.
The future is an apathetic void of no interest to anyone. The past
is full of life, eager to irritate us, provoke, insult us, tempt us to
destroy or repaint it. The only reason people want to be masters
of the future is to change the past.
2
Bill Taylor has indicated four types of “leaders who create the future”: the learning zealot,
the personal disruptor, the tough-minded optimist, and the eager experimenter. Bill Taylor,
The 4 Kinds of Leaders Who Create the Future (HARV. BUS. REV., 18 Dec. 2017).
2

Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3120657

It is all about positively disrupting the market and creating an
interested following in the industry.
However, a theory and practice often diverge – and this void
territory is where one can achieve a great deal. Even the top brands in
the world are not as proactive and innovative as they should be. For
instance, the U.S. Chanel has announced in its San Francisco branch a
conservative advertisement of a fashion advisor job opening
[21.12.2017]. Among the position responsibilities, there is the
following: “maintaining the deep knowledge of fashion trends”. It is
not the first job opening of this kind that I have seen (for instance, the
fashion designer Eva Minge’s job openings). If a firm that purports to
be a futurist market leader requires this kind of expertise, it means that
it has not remarkably thought over its market strategy. Truly
ambitious firms should set market trends and they should not merely
adapt to them.

2. Great Leaders Learn Greatly from History

As I have stated myself, we have learnt from History that we

have learnt nothing from History. However, as Robert Heinlein
observed, “A generation which ignores history has no past and no
future”. The ignorance of History does not, of course, apply to great
leaders. They are the great visionaries of the future, the present, and
the past.
Great leaders should be the eager learners of History: business
history, political history, legal history, chemical history, etc. –
depending of their field of specialization. History is a great teacher of
life, and – as Konrad Adenauer (a famous German politician 1876-
1967) put it – it is also the sum of what could have been avoided.
Anyone who knows History well also knows well what can be
3
expected from the Future. To conclude, great leaders learn greatly
from History.

3. Great Leaders Never Engage in Reprehensible Unethical

Behavior and They Demonstrate the Highest Standards of
Morality

Aristotle says that our best moral guidance comes from considering
the lives of exemplary individuals.3

Great leaders never engage in reprehensible unethical behavior.

However, this is something that one cannot learn: it is the DNA that
determines whether you are a great leader or not (still, parental
upbringing and the influence of one’s close and distant environment
may have an effect on one’s criminality, but they will not make one a
great leader). Indeed, the highest standards of ethical behavior are
expected from great leaders.

Great leaders rely on strong ethics also to avoid the

problems of fallen companies. It is sometimes claimed that as business
consultants and coaches, psychologists can help CEOs understand
what general values and aspirations they hold, and then they can help
to translate these values into leadership styles.4 It is fundamental to
realize that psychologists will not help you to develop real ethics.
Everything is written in DNA: one is either ethical or not. The only
viable solution for great leaders is to totally eliminate unethical
creatures (creatures with erroneous DNA) from their environment in
order to avoid that their company or the whole nations are not fallen.
3
Randy R. Larsen, The Role of Nature in John Muir's Conception of the Good Life (PhD
dissertation, Antioch University) (2011).
4
D. Smith, Psychologists Discuss Developing Corporate Ethics, MONITOR PSYCH. (34)(5)
(May 2003), in brief.
4
Unethical creatures cannot be trained to make ethical decisions. You
must understand it well.

4. Great Leaders Are Great Progressists

Are you modern? (and do you know what it means to be

modern?) Are you well oriented in new research? (and are your
sources of research powerful?) Do you strongly and effectively
support progress (and do you take concrete measures to attain it?). A
progressist is a person who favors and advocates progress, especially
in political, business, or social matters; it is a great reformer.
However, under the Earth conditions, it is politically advisable not to
be a great reformer, no matter how great leadership DNA one has. It is
indeed necessary to apply some (real) politics: it helps.

5. Great Leaders See the Potential Where Others Do Not See It

There is one characteristic of a leader that she or he must

possess in order to make a real difference in the world: a great leader
sees the potential of people and resources where others do not see it.
This is why she or he is a leader: it must be well understood, as it is of
fundamental importance. If other businessmen do not see a great
writer in a young person, a real great leader does see it (and she or he
does not wait merely for famous names); if other businessmen do not
appreciate your unique business capabilities or the finest taste for Art,
a real great leader does see it. It is, however, common that people are
affected by cognitive biases, and that they often perceive themselves
out of touch with the reality: they like thinking that they can always
see and appreciate the potential of other people and resources. My

5
opinion is that it is exactly the contrary, and solid research would
easily prove it. I believe that the potential for efficiency gains is
gigantic in this area.5

6. Great Leaders Come up with Novel, Original, Useful Ideas

It is a well-established fact that great leaders come up with

novel, original, useful ideas. Under the perfect conditions, they are
also willing and able to convince others that they are right. Of course,
as a leader, one can do only classics, but one needs to excel at doing
them like Chanel.
There is a great deal of ill-advised conservatism in the current
approach to science. This has particularly damaging effects on the
legal systems and economies. For instance, the very top international
legal journals, such as the Harvard Law Review or the Yale Law
Journal, are highly conservative in a sense and they rely on the rigid
standards. It may be very difficult for a genius to get anything
published there, as they require proofs for any statement made.
Everything – like very great ideas – cannot be proved, since there is
no adequate literature. Such journals are not a fertile ground for real
inventions and innovations. The Harvard Law Review and Yale Law
Journal (and all their very multiple followers) rely heavily on the
comments of doctrine: the papers published there are a collection of a
huge amount of comments on doctrine and footnotes. Doctrine is
generally very badly written – in a very bad legal and/or economic
jargon and it is often estranged from the reality. If one has no proofs
5
MAGDALENA LASKOWSKA, EFFICIENCY GAINS AND OTHER COMPENSATING
FACTORS IN THE CONTROL OF COMMUNITY CONCENTRATIONS (A PHD THESIS,
THE UNIVERSITY OF PARIS 2 – PANTHEON ASSAS) (2011).

6
but only personal observations, one cannot voice one’s reflections. It
is not necessarily a genius’ style to do the things the way the Harvard
Law Review or the Yale Law Journal require it, and if you disagree
with their style, you will not get published there.

Protecting the core of activities and heritage plus being highly

modern and innovative as an effective leadership strategy6

Yves Saint Laurent, one of the leading players in luxury

design, purports to protect the core of its activities while being
innovative. It states:
(…) we continuously push further boundaries whilst being
respectful of roots and tradition, as well as inspired by
strong values.7
Another luxury brand – Louis Vuitton – claims to be
historically avant-garde, brave, and “American”8 in the business style:
Louis Vuitton has a rich 160-year history. Its heritage
provides a foundation that cultivates an avant-garde
spirit and courageousness. Founded in 1854, Maison
Louis Vuitton has established a name synonymous with
savoir-faire and making the impossible become possible,
with modernity and a universal vision.9

6
This point has been formulated in: JIM COLLINS & JERRY I. PORRAS, WIZJONERSKIE
ORGANIZACJE (2008), Chapter 4. Protect the core and stimulate progress.
7
See http://www.kering.com [23.12.2017].
8
This is my qualification.
9
See http://eu.louisvuitton.com/eng-e1/careers/homepage#/culture [23.12.2017].
7
 Business leaders – such as Versace, a luxury brand – also
venture into new activities in order to broaden the portfolio of their
companies. Versace points out:
In 2000 Gianni Versace Spa opened Palazzo Versace,
the first hotel project to be branded by a luxury goods
company, which provides tourists and travelers the
opportunity to experience and enjoy the complete
Versace lifestyle. The second Palazzo Versace built
in Dubai opened in 2015. The third Palazzo Versace
will be built in Macau, China.10

7. Great Leaders Are in the Constant Pursuit of Great Passions

Great Leaders are in the constant pursuit of great passions.

“They say” is a fool – a French proverb says. As Bernard Le Bovier
Fontenelle has stated, “It is the passions that do and undo everything”.
Great leaders continually push the boundaries in their personal and
professional life. They demonstrate a can-do attitude to constantly
raise (or to maintain) the standards they set.

8. Great Leaders Cannot Be Narcissistic

Great leaders cannot be narcissistic. It is self-evident that great

leaders cannot be narcissistic, as narcissism – illegitimate admiration

10
See http://www.versace.com/eu/en/about-us/company-profile.html [23.12.2017].
8
for oneself – is a serious mental disorder and it implies arrogance, an
egocentric and manipulative character. Such persons are often jealous
of others, which is the ultimate demise of a human being. The term
originates from Greek mythology: the young Narcissus fell in love
with his image reflected in water.
Contrary to the current research, I claim that there is no
dual face of narcissistic leadership, and that “good leaders do not turn
bad”.11 According to researchers from the University of Leicester,
academics have often suggested that there are two kinds of a
narcissistic leader: those whose self-belief serves to benefit the
organization (so-called “constructive” narcissistic leaders) and those
whose arrogance is actually destructive (so-called “reactive”
narcissistic leaders). Narcissism is meant as a concept of
psychoanalysis which refers to persons with the exaggerated
admiration of their own attributes and capabilities. By contrast, Stein
(2013) claims that a self-centered leader can possess both of these
characteristics at a different time: she or he can change from a good
leader to a bad one when harder times come. When there is a
downturn for the company, it can trigger a transformation in the
narcissistic leader. Stein argues that when everything is going well for
the company, constructive narcissistic leaders can gratify themselves
that this success is largely due to them. They also claim that they
deserve to be rewarded for their efforts. In reality, these reactions
reveal hubris – arrogance that is completely unrelated to the
performance of a company, an organization, etc. Stein adds that when
problems grow, the same narcissistic leader will begin blaming
everyone else for the problems facing the company, and that she or he
will become obsessed with seeking revenge on those who they feel
have harmed the company rather than dealing with the real problems

11
See M. Stein, When Does Narcissistic Leadership Become Problematic? Dick Fuld at
Lehman Brothers, J. MANAGEMENT INQUIRY 22(3) (2013).
9
facing the company. This is just narcissistic leaders’ helplessness, and
this directly results from their heavily erroneous DNA.
Stein also notes that it has long been held that those with
strong narcissistic tendencies are frequently attracted to leadership
positions out of a need for power and prestige. This issue is evidently
of fundamental importance in politics, business, and any research.
Narcissism is one of the most serious mental illnesses: it can never
serve to benefit a company, politics, and anything else. Indeed,
narcissism is hubris, which implies hatred for other people and
animals.12 It is also always self-destructive and damaging for the
performance of companies, organizations, and nations. Narcissistic
people are consumed by the feelings of hubris, greed, and jealousy (as
these traits are closely interrelated) and a desire for illegitimate
revenge; they are also well known for obsessing over short-term
victories over rivals rather than focusing on a longer-term perspective.
It is the very nature of hubris that is destructive: it can be never
constructive.

9. Great Leaders Are Authentically Highly Altruistic

In order to be a great leader, one needs to be authentically

altruistic. It implies that one does not do any charitable work for tax-
deduction purposes or in order to advertise one’s business. A person, a
firm, or an organization that is not helpful and authentically altruistic
does not deserve to be a leader at all. Being a great leader means the
great standards of such behavior. Helping animals and people who
need it should be the driving force behind any real leadership. What I
claim should have nothing to do with public relations crusades

12
See Magdalena Laskowska, What Drives the Decisions of Your Company: a Matter of
Hubris? (2018), forthcoming.
10
(shaping the relationships of a public person with her or his
environment). The aims of public relations campaigns may be so
easily suspected of hypocrisy: care for a good image, acceptance, and
benevolence in relation to a guilty person or a guilty organization.
“Talk of doing society good is by now a standard component
of American companies’ messaging” – White notes.13 Apart from the
penance theory and the insurance theory,14 there is also a highly
cynical theory that is presented as a basis for a good management
practice: firms focus on social good in the form of corporate social
responsibility programs because they can reap certain important
financial rewards, such as increases in sales, the attraction of more
high-quality employees, more loyal customers, good press thanks to
good reputation.15 This is, however, completely inconsistent with
realizing authentic social progress and it has nothing to do with any
altruism. I have not meant organizational hypocrisy when I have
referred to practicing authentic altruism.
Like many other researchers, Haynes has found the range of
pay within companies an intriguing question, too.16" Why is it that in
some companies there is a huge difference between the pay of the top
13
Gillian B. White, What Motivates Companies to Do Good – Altruism or Guilt?, THE
ATLANTIC (14 March 2016). White refers to a study of 4,500 firms by Kang, Germann &
Grewal (J. MARKETING). They investigate the motivations behind the implementation of
corporate social responsibility programs.
14
According to the penance theory, firms engage in corporate social responsibility programs
to make amends for the bad actions for which they are responsible. As regards the insurance
theory, such programs help mitigate damage to a firm’s brand that could occur from future
bad behavior: it is all about building good reputation before bad conduct occurs, so that
customers and shareholders do not defect when a firm does something badly (Id.).
15
Id.
16
See Katalin Takacs Haynes, Michael A. Hitt, Joanna Tochman Campbell, The Dark Side of
Leadership: Towards a Mid-Range Theory of Hubris and Greed in Entrepreneurial Contexts,
J. MANAGEMENT STUDIES 52(4) (2015); K. T. Haynes, M. Josefy, M. A. Hitt, Tipping
Point: Managers' Self-Interest, Greed, and Altruism, J. LEADERSHIP &
ORGANIZATIONAL STUDIES (2015); K. T. Haynes, J. T. Campbell, M. A. Hitt, When
More Is Not Enough: Executive Greed and Its Influence on Shareholder Wealth, J.
MANAGEMENT (2014).

11
executive and the average worker or the lowest-paid employee and in
other companies the pay is a lot closer?" - she said. Of course, as she
notes, this may be related to performance. But is this really always the
case? Such self-interest is even more than indicative of a lack of
altruism – the characteristic that no real leader should ever
demonstrate. It is simply exploitative.

10. Great Leaders Find Fun Important

Great leaders find fun important. Roman emperors cultivated

vines and they specialized in wine-making. Researchers from the
Department of Archaeology of the University of Sheffield investigated
the vast imperial estate of Vagnari in Italy and they have unearthed the
evidence of wine production on an industrial scale. This bears witness
to emperors’ extra-political interests.

Fun culture is important in any work – but it seems to be of

particular importance in leadership, as this position is stressful and
highly demanding. “Work hard, play hard” –Kate Rodriguez advises.17
It is important to “Create an environment where your employees want
to be, and the work comes easy.”18 Job satisfaction can also lead to
high productivity gains for your firm and building real trust. This
culture is also ethical, hence it is an advantage in itself.

17
Kate Rodriguez, Let Them Play Foosball: How A “Fun” Company Culture Gets Results,
EXPERTEER MAGAZINE (10 April 2017), available at
https://us.experteer.com/magazine/fun-company-culture-
kabbage/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=marketingemail&utm_content=article&utm_cam
paign=kicker_COM&mktg=62080&mlink=2 [10.06.2017].
18
Id.
12
 11. Great Leaders Realize That What Ones Knows
Naturally Is More Important than What One Can “Learn”:
Chemistry Matters the Most

A great leader realizes that what one knows naturally is more

important than what one has learnt. In other words, natural capabilities
are more essential than learnt ones. I realize that this view will be
strongly contested, and this will not surprise me. Everything cannot be
taught, and what has been taught is not necessarily the same as what
one knows (or how one behaves) naturally. Artificial capabilities can
be highly harmful; what one has learnt may be merely hypocrisy (for
instance, instead of emotional capabilities) or famous researchers’,
businessmen’s, or politicians’ formula for high-level work (which one
does not really comprehend). Real powers are in Chemistry.

12. Great Leaders Have a Great Personality

Øyvind L. Martinsen & Lars Glasø (2013) from the Bl

Norwegian Business School have studied nearly 3000 managers and
they have identified the five factor model.19 According to the
researchers, the most effective leaders have high scores for all the five
personality traits: emotional stability, extraversion, openness to new
experiences, a high degree of sociability, and conscientiousness
(effective leaders are generally very methodological).

19
Martinsen, Øyvind and Lars Glasø, Personlighet og ledelse. I R. Rønning, W. Brochs-
Haukedal, L. Glasø, & S. B. Matthiesen (ed.). Livet som leder. Lederundersøkelsen 3.0 .
Fagbokforlaget: Bergen (2013). See also https://www.bi.edu/research/business-
review/articles/2014/03/personality-for-leadership/ [29.12.2017].

13
 Huang, Krasikova & Liu (2016) point out that ineffective or
abusive leaders will create stressful situations for their employees by
humiliating them in front of others, playing favorites, or not giving
their subordinates proper credit for their work.20 One’s productivity is
diminished once one feels stress – the researchers continue. According
to the researchers, a leader’s creativity and confidence are also
contagious (and the key to a successful, creative leader is confidence).
They also observe that leaders can imbue their subordinates with
creativity and confidence by setting an example themselves.
Krasikova said:
Creativity flourishes in supportive environments
where leaders and subordinates have good interpersonal
relationships. In such environments, subordinates will
go an extra mile for a leader without expecting anything
in return because they have a good relationship.

13. Great Leaders Are Very Charismatic21

Everyone wants to be charismatic (indeed, it is a well-

appreciated quality), however, very few people are. Positive charisma
– an “X-factor” – is associated with personal magnetism and
20
Lei Huang, Dina V. Krasikov & Dong Liu, I can do it, so can you: The role of leader
creative self-efficacy in facilitating follower creativity, J. ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
& HUMAN DECISION PROCESSES (2016).
21
In the opposite direction: Filip De Fruyt et al., The Double-Edged Sword of Leader
Charisma: Understanding the Curvilinear Relationship Between Charismatic Personality and
Leader Effectiveness, J. PERSONALITY & SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY (May 2017).
According to this research, leaders with the moderate amounts of charisma are seen as more
effective than those with high or low levels. While at least a moderate level of charisma is
important, too much thereof may hinder a leader's effectiveness.
14
extraordinary charm, a very strong power to influence people and
staggering persuasiveness.22 Charismatic people attract, influence,
inspire other people. Charisma is in your DNA, so one cannot learn it
despite some fashionable claims in the opposite direction (often made
by managers who want to show off their “expertise” and to gain
fame). Charismatic persons are authentic, competent and focused,
confident, calm yet highly energetic. They are also good listeners and
they maintain an eye contact with the public. Still, although one
cannot change one’s DNA, there are some things that one can learn.
A few elements contribute to charisma: the emission of one’s
voice, one’s clothes, and what one has to convey in the public and
how one will be doing it. The emission of a voice should be very
powerful and pleasant.23 This seems to be very important, as people
react to what can be easily seen and what can be heard technically: the
form may matter more than the substance.24 As to clothes, the best
piece of advice is to always wear a classical, elegant suit. Other
options may be highly enticing and idiosyncratic, but they can be
either socially risky or even completely unacceptable in certain
professions (like in the legal environment or in politics). If you are an

22
See M. J. Young, M. W. Morris, V. M. Scherwin, Managerial Mystique: Magical Thinking
in Judgments of Managers' Vision, Charisma, and Magnetism, J. MANAGEMENT (2011).
23
See Rindy C. Anderson, Casey A. Klofstad, Preference for Leaders with Masculine Voices
Holds in the Case of Feminine Leadership Roles, PLoS ONE 7(12) (2012). According to this
research, leaders with masculine voices are preferred by both men and women. Even in
leadership roles that are typically held by women, both sexes prefer women leaders with low-
pitched voices. The authors’ results suggest that the influence of a voice pitch on the
perceptions of leadership capacity is consistent across the different domains of leadership and
independent of a social context.

In my opinion, it only bears witness to gender discrimination, also practiced by

women themselves. One does not need to have a low-pitched voice, but rather a very powerful
one: this would be highly useful. Still, if one does not have such a voice, it does not mean, of
course, that one’s leadership is disadvantaged; it merely lacks an important advantage.
24
If politicians talked the way ordinary people do, who would listen to them? – this is the
fundamental question one needs to answer.
15
artist or you belong to another more liberal profession, individual
artistic styles are, however, of course, necessary. Finally, what one has
to convey and how one does it is of fundamental importance. Great
leaders should convey their deepest understanding of the future, the
present, and the past. They should set trends and show new directions
of politics, business, economics, mathematics, law, art, research, etc.
It is their power that should empower the masses. They are not
followers. Still, it is not sufficient to say the right things – even to
create the greatest visions. What also matters is how one performs
such tasks. The form can be more important than the substance, since
people are generally irrational.25
In addition, charismatic persons also enthrall the public with
their oratorical skills. This can be learnt to a certain extent, even a
great deal, but it is the DNA that makes one really a great orator: at
least one needs to have the potential.
Here are my fundamental ideas about charisma.
(1) It appeals to great ideas; the greater the ideas are, the higher
the charisma
(2) It appeals to great universal ethics; it relies on such ethics
(3) It appeals to great dedication; the higher the dedication, the
higher the charisma
(4) It appreciates and it rewards merits in the highest degree
(5) It is not jealous, nor greedy, nor imbued with hubris
(6) It is highly visionary; the greater the vision, the greater the
charisma
(7) Charismatic persons also emanate a positive attitude – they
smile a great deal, they joke, they are cordial (and their
positive attitude spreads fast and magically to their

25
See Magdalena Laskowska, Irrationality as the Determinant of Human Behavior (2018),
forthcoming.
16
 environment); particular cordiality that is expressed in a
decisive,26 powerful way is particular charisma
(8) Charisma appeals to leadership capabilities; the higher the
leadership, the higher the charisma (i.e. showing the strategic
ways of doing things and making people go in the right
direction)
(9) It concerns the substance or the form (or both); if it concerns
the form, the emission of a voice is highly powerful, highly
pleasant, and highly captivating
(10) Charismatic persons react very strongly; they have very high
responsiveness to the environment; the higher the
responsiveness, the higher the charisma.
One cannot pretend to be charismatic with another view than
to cheat stupidity. The truth can simply be easily seen: charismatic
persons shine like the brightest stars while artificial charisma is
disgusting, low, and primitive.
When you listen, when you read, when you talk to
charismatic persons, they always leave you with a feeling of
insatiation: you always want to listen, to read, to talk to them more.
They are not unethical, and this is one of their greatest powers.
There is also one great truth: generally, people are irrational –
they do not want to hear the inconvenient truth. As I have written in
my poem, Truth is on the Throne (in the world).27 If you want to tell
people any real truth under imperfect (wild) conditions like on Earth
(wild ones), you should not expect great popularity and great public
acknowledgement. People are too irrational to make it happen!

26
Everyone is not very decisive. One can be hesitant in a reasonable way. Hesitancy is not the
hallmark of a charismatic person, but it may constitute a real quality as well.
27
MAGDALENA LASKOWSKA, THE FIRST POETRY (2016).

17
 14. Great Leaders Develop Great Practices

There are some practices that great leaders should

imperatively adopt. They are the following:
(1) Performing a regular self-assessment - the SWOT
(strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats)
analysis should be a basic tool of a self-assessment.
(2) It is also fundamental for a great leader to organize the
management of the financial health of the firm, the
organization, the national budget, etc.
(3) Rewarding the highest work uniquely is also a great
leader’s hallmark; this goal must be realized appropriately: it
is fundamental. This approach is not realized in very many
cases.28
(4) I highly recommend that “toxic” people (imbued with
hubris, greed, and jealousy) should be completely
eliminated from any real company, any authentic artistic
environments, etc.29 Contrary to what is claimed in many
cases, the erroneous DNA cannot be healed,30 and “toxic”
people lead to very high disefficiency gains and a
reprehensible working environment.
(5) Verifying regularly how other people perceive you is also
fundamental. It is not enough to be a real leader if one wants
to have a commercial success. People must buy your
28
See Magdalena Laskowska, What Every CEO Should Know: Human Resources and the
Heavy Underperformance of Companies (2018), forthcoming; Magdalena Laskowska,
Rewarding Work Like a Great Leader (2018), forthcoming.
29
See Magdalena Laskowska, What Drives the Decisions of Your Company: A Matter of
Hubris? (2018), forthcoming; Magdalena Laskowska, What Drives the Decisions of Your
Company: A Matter of Greed? (2018), forthcoming; Magdalena Laskowska, What Drives the
Decisions of Your Company: A Matter of Jealousy? (2018), forthcoming.
30
For instance, compare with John Baldoni, How to Recognize (and Cure) Your Own Hubris,
HARV. BUS. REV. (8 Sept. 2010).

18
 products, your stories, your books. Great leaders also
network a great deal in order to enlarge their circle of
influence.
(6) Building a strong team and being responsive to the
group’s needs in accordance with the ethics and goals of
each individual are also fundamental. Great leaders listen to
their employees: they take the time to ensure that they are
approachable and they make time for their employees.31
Building real relationships is important, as it is fundamental
that great leaders act in a way that makes other persons
proud to be associated with them.
(7) Great leaders support the innovation culture – the culture
of “possibility” thinking. The stronger the support and the
team-building, the greater the results are.
(8) A great leader must have great clear visions and be able to
set goals to achieve them. Such visions must motivate people
to follow the leader. This can be done when a great leader acts
with passion and energy and when she or he strongly believes
in their visions.
(9) Inspiring and motivating other people is of fundamental
importance, too.
(10) Sensible risk taking and experimenting are also great
leaders’ hallmarks.
(11) Flexibility, tenaciousness, decisiveness, high organization
are also great leaders’ vital characteristics. In particular, it
should be noted that
Sustained growth in smaller manufacturing firms
[the object of the study] results not only from a
blend of favorable economic and industry
conditions, but also from flexible leaders who
recognize the importance of their continuing

31
See footnote 17.
19
 influence to plan change and gain commitment from
their work force. (…) Those leaders who prefer
sustained growth and increased profitability,
however, pursue flexibility, a strategic orientation,
and continued involvement in planned change in
order to elicit work force commitment and high
performance.32
(12) The effectiveness of leadership also includes the ability to
improvise when the situation calls for it as well as
providing organizational philosophy and ethics.33
(13) There are some critical management skills that a great leader
must have as well. Apart from time management and
rewarding hard work appropriately and in a timely manner
(by means of tangible rewards or a public acknowledgement),
the ability to prioritize so that the most important tasks are
moved to the front of the line is crucial.34 Moreover, a great
leader always makes sure that everyone knows what job to
do, and that they are allocated the right resources to
perform the tasks.
(14) It is also important to learn communication techniques and
negotiation know-how.
(15) It is, finally, vital to remember that great leaders demonstrate
great leadership qualities in hard times. It is well known in
politics and business that great leaders not only prevent a
32
DEBORA S. HUMPHREYS, AN ENTREPRENEURIAL APPROACH TO
SIGNIFICANT CHANGE (PHD THESIS, CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, 20
MAY 1990).
33
PAMELA J. FAUST, THE CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE EXECTUIVE
DIRECTORS IN NON-PROFIT ARTS ORGANIZATIONS (MASTER OF ARTS THESIS,
THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY, 2000).
34
Killip advises that leaders start their working day by tackling the most difficult and
unpleasant tasks on their to-do list. She estimates that by adopting this philosophy, you will
increase productivity and inspiration in your working life. Lucy Killip, 11 Habits of Successul
Leaders, EXPERTEER MAGAZINE (27 July 2016), available at
https://us.experteer.com/magazine/11-habits-successful-leaders/ [29.12.2017].
20
disastrous situation from becoming worse, but also they are
able to turn it into new positive opportunities for their
companies or the whole nations.

21