Just as leadership is essential for effective management, successful management depends on effective leadership. While each role is important to the proper functioning of any organization, a leader of an enterprise or organization— or any leader in a position of authority to whom others look for guidance— has a broader focus that benefits from particular attributes that managers, and those who report to them, should be able to respond to favorably in order to achieve the common goal of organizational success. The particular qualities a leader should possess are a matter for debate because it can be rationally argued that cultural differences play an important role in how leaders function. This is a reasonable assertion and has been shown in studies to be an important consideration because cultures often differ, even if only subtly, among those that would otherwise be deemed closely aligned.

In my years of academic study of management and leadership along with my experience working under leaders, and holding leadership roles myself, I have recognized the impact of cultural differences. But I have also come to view effective leaders as possessing a particular skill set that separates them from less effective leaders. This skill set includes, but ultimately transcends, such management techniques as the delegation of responsibilities to others and the empowerment of people, and also includes the influence of personal attributes. Charisma can be a powerful quality, but it is not a defining feature of an effective leader. Wisdom matters. Personal values matter. A sense of humility is important to assert the message that the organization is not about extolling the virtues of the leader but rather emphasizing the leader's purpose in garnering support for the organization and inspiring the rank and file to feel a similar sense of meaning in the pursuit of achieving the organization's purpose.

Hence, I firmly believe it is possible to identify features of successful leaders that transcend the reality of cultural differences, serving as an almost timeless model for those who aspire to various leadership positions. Naturally, context matters where particular attributes stand out as more significant and effective than others.