Seven Top Leaders on Making Tough Calls and Serving for the Greater Good

On December 5, at historic Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C., a diverse group of seven leaders notable in their respective fields, including New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof and Nobel Prize-winning scientist Ahmed Zewali, took to the stage to discuss their views of the qualities that make a leader. All seven received the 2011 Top American Leaders Award from the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and Washington Post Live, honoring those who motivate people to "work collaboratively to accomplish great things."
"It's important to signify to others what is exemplary about people who make a difference in our lives," said Michael Useem, a Wharton management professor and director of the Wharton Center for Leadership and Change Management, who served on the award's selection committee. "Identifying why a leader deserves this distinction is a way to send a message to all of us to think about our own development and what to value when it comes to leadership." Useem noted that the award's selection criteria reflect academic research on leadership qualities that emphasize strategic thinking and mission-setting, looking beyond one's self interest and inspiring others to act.
The seven Top American Leaders imparted their wisdom about leadership, including some very personal observations on how they came by the passion that inspires their work and on what irks them most about public life. Common in all their views is that leadership is about serving more than one's self.

[Insights from the winners follow:....]