This research reviews the qualities required for successful organizational leadership in the modern world. Leadership is the ability of one person to influence a group of persons toward the achievement of common goals (Yukl, 1994). When comparing leadership styles, the focus typically is on the effectiveness of leaders'. Effectiveness, in turn, typically is the extent to which the leader's group or organization performs its tasks successfully or attains its goals (Black, Morrison, & Gregersen, 1999).
Pasternack, Van Nuys, and Perkins (1998) identified three behaviors that are associated with leadership success in modern organizations. First, a successful leader acts promptly once a problem has been identified and its character diagnosed. Equally important to leadership success within this context is that a leader should not act in a precipitous manner. Second, subordinate managers who do not actively support a leader's program should be replaced quickly. Third, a leader should prioritize her or his time and adhere to the policy thus established.
Paul de Benedictis (2000), Vice-President at Christian & Timbers, an executive search firm, holds that: "Executives are hired on technical traits and are usually fired because of the wrong combination of human characteristics, or 'soft traits.' The essential elements of these 'soft traits' include honesty and integrity, intellectual capacity, intensity, leadership and passion" (pp. 1-3).
Shin (1998) identified the five traits, or characteristics, considered to be most important for leaders in modern organizations. These five desirable traits are as follows: (1) respect for an organization's employees; (2) an initiator attitude; (3) tenacity in the pursuit of objectives; (4) an ability to build networks; and (5) demanding the highest level of competency for organizations, which implies both embracing technology and assuring that employees are trained to use technology effecti...