Article: What it takes to be a great leader.(Leadership qualities)

Pop quiz: What qualities describe a great leader? Take a minute to think about it and jot down the first four or five that come to mind.

Pencils down. Does your list include words like inspiring? Visionary? Ethical? Did you consider communication skills and the ability to manage people effectively?

These are the kinds of responses I get when I give this quiz to colleagues. But when I press them to elaborate, they often disagree on what they mean by the items they list, because each quality is subject to debate.

Take, for example, "inspiring." Many seem to have a sense that this is the quality that sets truly great leaders apart, and that it is ...

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