If you asked most people in the 20th century what were the top 6 traits most effective leaders needed, you would probably get a list that would include the following: aggressiveness, fearlessness, tough mindedness, a take-no-prisoners mentality, goal-oriented methods and a win-at-all-cost spirit. That was the romantic language of the 20th century. Countless books have been written around leaders having these traits. However, in the 21st century, those chickens have come home to roost. Those same elements of aggressiveness and fearlessness have produced systems of corruption, graft and exploitation. It appears that the very traits we may have embraced in the 20th century as gifts have turned into cancers. Overwhelming debt, unsustainable practices, financial malfeasance, secret dealings, country-wide revolution all stem from a system created by philosophies of take-no-prisoners leadership.
In the 21st century, a new kind of leadership may be more effective. The six major traits of this new leadership include compassion, visionary thinking, connectedness, an intuitive mindset, consensus building and sustainability planning. Allow me to explain why these traits will be more effective in the years to come.
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