I watched the TedTalk “What it takes to be a great leader” by Roselinde Torres. She started the talk by saying that the image that many of us carry of a great leader is outdated. She said that many of us are thinking of “this all-know superhero who stands and commands and protects his followers.” This image is no longer relevant to the world that we are living in or will ever live in again. 

The research she did was motivated by the problem many companies are having in finding good leaders. Many companies are investing more time and resources in developing leaders, but they still fail to develop strong leaders. Torres was looking to solve this problem by answering the question: What makes a greater leader in the 21st century? She answered this question in the form of three other questions that would be asked to potential leaders.

The first question was, where are you looking to anticipate change? With this question, she is trying to emphasize that leaders should be shaping their own future not just reacting to what comes at you. She thinks that companies should be asking their potential leaders who they are spending time with, what topics they are learning about, where they are traveling, what they are reading, etc. The hope is that this will translate into an effective plan to prepare for the future.

The second question was, what is the diversity measure of your network? This question is about a leader’s ability to make connections with people that are different from them. Are they able to form connections outside of just the group they are used to and comfortable? They need to establish connections such that very different people are able to collaborate and work towards the same goals effectively. A diverse network is beneficial because it gives you a wider variety of perspectives and solutions to potential problems.

The third question was, are you courageous enough to abandon the past? Here she is saying that a good leader should not just be using strategies that have worked for them in the past. Nobody wants a leader that is unable to get out of their comfort zone because they will be unable to adapt as things change.