Here’s a great quote from Steve Ballmer in today’s Corner Office column in the New York Times:
“I’ve come to believe that to be a great leader, you have to combine thought leadership, business leadership and great people management. I think most people tend to focus more on one of those three.
I used to think it was all about thought leadership. Some people think it’s all about your ability to manage people. But the truth is, great leaders have to have a mix of those things.”
A mix of those things indeed – applied uniquely (situationally) to the individual and the situation!
Years ago, in one of my earliest IBM management classes, we had an amazing teacher (who’s name I’m embarrassed that I can’t recall) who shared a very basic notion that has stuck with me ever since: successful leadership is very, very situational – one size definitely does not fit all!