What’s Leadership?

Apparently, I’m a top writer in Leadership, thanks to this Putin story. Oh, dear! Sometimes you truly step into unchartered territory, doubtful and not quite knowing why you’re doing the strange thing you’re doing. And, more often than not, you later do discover that you were right to doubt. You venture into something and, well, the uncharted territory is just an empty space. But sometimes…

“ Stepping into unchartered territory”. Wait, that’s Leadership!

I’m not complimenting myself but decided to express a few ideas on the topic of Leadership. I have an MBA from Harvard Business School! How can I not have an opinion on Leadership?!

I think the topic of Leadership is similar, in its mainstream appeal and being fertile ground for research and teaching, to a couple of other big themes that business schools love— Strategy and Entrepreneurship.

Interestingly, 15 years after my MBA, I can remember well the definitions for Strategy and Entrepreneurship but not Leadership.

Entrepreneurship is pursuing an opportunity without regard for resources currently available.

Strategy is doing things differently from the competition so as to generate sustainable long-term above-average profitability.

Maybe these definitions are not precise, but I remember well the substance.

Leadership? At HBS We had a course on it and I remember well Professor Snook who taught it — a very colorful high-energy lecturer with a…