Hi Tara,

I can't say I'm at all surprised at your passion.  In all the hours that we have spent talking about leadership, I don't think we ever really addressed this question, so I am happy to hear your thoughts.  I find it interesting that we agree on so many things in our conversations, but I would not have written what you have.

I see a lot of leadership buzz words here that you value, balance, trust, consensus building, and although you didn't use this word, transparency.  As I think about leadership in these contexts, I realize you are asking for a lot.  I am a leader on a small scale, and I struggle with these issues.  I cannot imagine how much more difficult it is for the CEO of a large company to do the same.  How do you foster trust with a hundred people, a thousand, millions?  How can I make you believe that I care about your needs, that I factored them in, especially when in the end I decided that your needs were not as important as others?

What is so interesting is the words you didn't mention.  Perhaps you value vision less or even not at all.  Where does passion fit into this equation, or intellect?  Must a leader be inspiring?

In the end perhaps what we value in leadership is related to what we see lacking in the leadership in our lives.  Or even more interestingly, what if we want leadership traits that we ourselves either possess or actually lack, depending on how we perceive our own role?

I would love to see what others value in leadership, the important qualities that make for great leadership from other perspectives.  Thank you for your thoughts today.