What are the qualities you consider critical in a leader?

Question

Let's brainstorm. I'm studying for my upcoming Fuqua interview and this question is so broad...I don't know where to begin. Of course, I would name all the qualities and tie them back to myself (what I have, what I need to develop)...but what do you think they are?

To me, it seems to be knowledge, understanding, insight, and a bit of je ne sais quoi

jjanders · Answer

Vision, integrity, motivate/inspire others, consensus builder, communication skills

saurabh357 · Answer

I dont personally believe in the"consensus builder" part. The rest, however, say it all. Maybe I would add "decisive"

pelihu · Answer

Willingness to buy me a beer.

emoryhopeful · Answer

To help with this, I would go with what schools possibly advertise. Emory is usually highly ranked in "Leadership". You should go to their website and check out their core values for their program. A quick list:
Courage, Integrity, Accountability, Rigor, Diversity, Team, and Community.

https://www.goizueta.emory.edu/degree/fu ... alues.html

This link will give you descriptions. I don't know if this will help in your Fuqua interview, but it may give you an idea of what Emory thinks.

Please tell me how your interview with Fuqua goes, I also plan on interviewing soon, and applying for R1.

mba2010 · Answer

Visionary with the ability to execute. Great communicator. Integrity. Genuine. Trustworthy.

kidderek · Answer

Likability -- You gotta get your lackeys to  want  to make you look good.

kripalkavi · Answer

1. Integrity
2. Communication
3. Resilience

in that order...

aurobindo · Answer

For me Integrity is a strange animal.

Integrity in terms of what? to help organization exploit its employees or to help employees take advantage of their organization or to self promote as much as possible or to strive to follow inner conscience or to ensure win-win situation for all the stakeholders?

seanpatin · Answer

Empathy.

(think Bill Clinton...)

adcxaway · Answer

I think, it's integrity to do the right thing. An priority would be to develop the business of a company within the confines of the law. But then, I guess it's a very gray area on what is ethical or not. Acting with integrity opens up questions like is it ok to develop an advertising campaign for a cigarette company? And stuff like that. 

But I guess you could play it safe and talk about how you deal with people and how you keep your word. And about how you deliver what you say you would deliver.

I would say though, integrity and charisma are important for a leader.

lanter1 · Answer

Ability to hold people accountable, effective communication (clearly defined vision and goals), respect (employer to employee and employee to employer).

R.E.D. · Answer

Then, what is the right thing? Is it the pre-defined tradition, way of solving the situations you face or it is more of the philosophy you hold in your life, that was created by your own tears and sweat and you believe that acting according to this philosophy will be an advantage to the people around you? How to deal with the life philosophy of other people, who also could be right? I think, that the most appropriate approach will include the respect to the opinions of other people and making them accomplish the goal of the whole team/company basing on the motivation to accomplish their own/internal goals.

Working on emerging markets leads to interesting observations... there are ethical things from the point of view of developed country and following the same rules as for developed market can lead to a loss of important part of company competitiveness. From the other point of view, there are some companies that can compete, using the same business approaches to business like in other countries - Ikea, for example, struggled for several years to get the permission to build their centers in certain cities, but they are very patient.

At the same time, being transparent in emerging market can lead to the attacks from competitors by dealing with the state departments. And you should have very good lawyers... who can work in conditions of the laws having intentional/unintentional holes that can ruin all your business.

What are the qualities you consider critical in a leader?

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