The Myth of the Brilliant, Charismatic Leader

There’s a view out there — call it the “superhero” theory of leadership — in which the individual vision, charisma, and brilliance of a CEO makes or breaks a company. That view is dangerous — not so much because CEOs don’t matter or that smarts and vision don’t help. It’s dangerous because of what it leaves out. Great leadership takes both generic skills and context-specific ones. The most effective leaders have knowledge and social skills that are specific to their company and industry that allow them to motivate other people in the organization to do what’s necessary to succeed.