Forum profiles international business leaders of the 21st century

By Mike Frontiero
VCU School of Education

What leadership characteristics are most crucial in today's global business climate? Is it moral fiber, multicultural perspective, charisma, technical savvy? Or is leadership about team building, common vision, shared influence and responsibility? A panel of experts gathered at the VCU Student Commons earlier this month to answer those questions for the 9th Annual International Business Forum, sponsored by the School of Business and Center for Public Policy.

The panelists were Allan R. Cohen, Ph.D., the Edward A. Madden distinguished professor of global leadership and director of corporate entrepreneurship at Babson College; Gurcharan Das, former CEO of Procter and Gamble India; John Harris, a journalist for the Washington Post who is writing a book on the history of the Clinton administration and its leadership focus; David Love, vice president of A.T. Kearney Executive Search; and Emory Thomas, Ph.D., Regents professor of history at the University of Georgia, who has authored many books on the Civil War, most recently a biography of Robert E. Lee.

Das cautioned corporate leaders against using an autocratic leadership style. "The enlightened CEO works to get the best out his employees," he told an audience of nearly 100 students, professors and business professionals. "The more selflessly you serve, the more successful your company will become."

"Leadership is achieving greatness with a team," said Love, who has 19 years of executive search experience. "You can be a great leader and play golf, but you can't be a great leader if you just play golf."

Cohen stressed the importance of making decisions through teamwork. "Teamwork is more than just asking a subordinate's advice and then making a decision. I believe in wider, shared responsibility of people collectively making smart decisions. That's unbelievably hard because leaders can't let their egos go."

"There are positions of leadership at all levels," said forum organizer Van R. Wood, Ph.D., Philip Morris Chair in International Business and VCU professor of marketing. "Improving leadership improves the welfare of the people you lead."