What it takes to be a great leader
6,429,412 views | Roselinde Torres • TED@BCG San Francisco
The world is full of leadership programs, but the best way to learn how to lead might be right under your nose. In this clear, candid talk, Roselinde Torres describes 25 years observing truly great leaders at work, and shares the three simple but crucial questions would-be company chiefs need to ask to thrive in the future.
The world is full of leadership programs, but the best way to learn how to lead might be right under your nose. In this clear, candid talk, Roselinde Torres describes 25 years observing truly great leaders at work, and shares the three simple but crucial questions would-be company chiefs need to ask to thrive in the future.
This talk was presented at a TED Institute event given in partnership with BCG. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.
Read more about the TED Institute.About the speaker
BCG's Roselinde Torres studies what makes great leaders tick -- and figures out how to teach others the same skills.
Roselinde Torres et al. | BCG Perspectives, December 13, 2010 | Article
Adaptive Leadership
Adaptive leaders have a distinct style that’s invaluable during times of uncertainty and change. They learn through experimentation, canvas a wide range of views to scope out their options and reward accomplishment with autonomy.
Roselinde Torres and Nneka Rimmer | BCG Perspectives, December 21, 2011 | Article
The Five Traits of Highly Adaptive Leadership Teams
Adaptive leadership teams have a handle on the basics of effective teamwork, but they also have five added traits that less successful teams lack. It’s these traits — the 'special sauce,' so to speak — that fuel high performance.
Hans-Paul Bürkner | BCG Perspectives, June 6, 2013
| Article
Fighting Corporate Hubris
The best managers follow what we call the Perpetuity Principle. They serve as stewards of their companies and, by doing so, develop profitable, sustainable and trusted businesses. They focus on results, ensure that substance triumphs over style and champion a true humility.
Michael Deimler et al. (Editors) | Wiley, 2013
| Book
Own the Future
Drawing on BCG’s experience advising organizations on how to achieve and sustain competitive advantage, this book offers 50 powerful ideas to help you chart your organization’s path to future leadership in an era of accelerating change.
James MacGregor Burns | Grove Press, 2003 | Book
Transforming Leadership
This book provides stories about leadership in settings as diverse as monarchies, tribes and academia. It profiles individuals who had the foresight to see where their worlds were going and to mobilize and empower others so they could help shape that future.
John Clarkeson | BCG Perspectives, 1990
| Article
Jazz vs. Symphony
John Clarkeson, a former CEO of BCG, wrote this piece nearly 25 years ago. 'Prescient' best describes his take on how future leaders wouldn’t be able to rely on exclusive decision-making authority, the overwhelming force of personality, or a monopoly of information.
Michael Shanahan and Roselinde Torres | BCG Perspectives, April 5, 2012 | Article
Is Your Team Stuck?
Bold leadership makes a big difference in turbulent times. Companies can exploit their competitors’ paralysis and make important, even game-changing, moves that position them for enduring success. It happened during the Great Depression, and it’s happening now.
Howard Gardner | Basic Books, 2011 | Book
Creating Minds
Gardner’s book was first published more than 20 years ago, but its insights into the creative process — told through the stories of seven remarkable individuals from different fields — remain just as relevant today. While they shared some traits, they all followed different paths to success.
Luc de Brabandere and Alan Iny | Random House, 2013 | Book
Thinking in New Boxes
Thinking outside the box is easier said than done. Luc and Alan describe a different approach to stretching people’s perspectives. When people think in new boxes, they learn how to ask the kinds of questions that will unlock creativity, innovation and opportunity.
Amartya Sen | Belknap Press, 2011 | Book
The Idea of Justice
It’s important to look at complex issues — in this case, the theory of justice — from multiple perspectives, rather than through a lens shaped exclusively by one’s own context and understanding. You end up seeing more alternatives, more shades of grey.
David Brooks | Random House, 2012 | Book
The Social Animal
The two characters in this book come together despite having grown up on opposite ends of the social spectrum. It’s a compelling reminder that diversity can make for strong bonds and great collaborations.
Gary Hamel | Jossey-Bass, 2012 | Book
What Matters Now
In today’s world, you have to be comfortable with change and willing to adapt. This book features case studies of companies that had the courage to abandon tried and true management models in favor of new ways of working.
Karenna Gore Schiff | Miramax Books, 2007 | Book
Lighting the Way
The title says it all. Karenna Gore Schiff profiles women who were true trailblazers. They were ahead of their time on socially controversial issues, and they faced huge odds in trying to instill meaningful change.
Anthony Sampson | Vintage Books, 2000 | Book
Mandela
There’s no shortage of insightful books about Nelson Mandela, including this authorized biography. I like this one because it provides an objective and comprehensive perspective on how he was shaped by the world he lived in, and how he in turn reshaped it.
Sonia Sotomayor | Vintage Books, 2014 | Book
My Beloved World
Sonia Sotomayor provides intimate, candid details about her upbringing and her determination to pursue her dream. It’s a deeply personal story, but it would resonate with anyone who seeks to fulfill their highest potential.
Eleanor Roosevelt | Harper Perennial, 2011 | Book
You Learn by Living
A great source of practical lessons, this book defines fulfillment as a combination of professional and personal satisfaction. It’s a nice, rounded view and it highlights the value of making a difference in the lives of individuals and in society.
Katharine Graham | Vintage Books, 1998 | Book
Personal History
Katharine Graham assumed control of The Post Co. in 1963, after her husband’s suicide. Her transition from shy homemaker to one of the most respected leaders in the male-dominated world of publishing was remarkable. A true pioneer, she was the first woman to head a Fortune 500 company.
About TED Institute
Every year, TED works with a group of select companies and foundations to identify internal ideators, inventors, connectors, and creators. Drawing on the same rigorous regimen that has prepared speakers for the TED main stage, TED Institute works closely with each partner, overseeing curation and providing intensive one-on-one talk development to sharpen and fine tune ideas. The culmination is an event produced, recorded, and hosted by TED, generating a growing library of valuable TED Talks that can spur innovation and transform organizations.
This talk was presented at a TED Institute event given in partnership with BCG. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.
Read more about the TED Institute.