My Brain Trust Weekly: Effective Leadership

How important is the person leading your company? Just ask the employees and shareholders of Wells Fargo, Chipotle, and Yahoo. John Stumpf, former CEO of Wells Fargo, Chipotle co-CEO Monty Moran, and Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, all played a pivotal role in either the complete failures (read: bankruptcy) or near-so of their respective companies.

So what makes a good leader, and what does one do if they believe they’re working for an organization with a leader who is not ready – or worse – is not ethical? The far-reaching impacts on the company, its employees, and shareholders, cannot be understated as the above examples illustrate. Here are some great articles that examine the traits that make the best leaders, as well as the consequences if they are left unchecked.

22 Qualities That Make a Great Leader (Entrepreneur)
Want to be a laudable leader? Study these characteristics, and the wise words of leaders who strive to embody them.

5 Key Leadership Principles for the Success of any Organization (Bizjournals)
Over the past two and a half years, I have written articles about the universal principles of effective leadership. These principles come from my own experience as a leader rising through the ranks of PQ Corporation to the position of CEO, and by observing the leaders of other organizations while serving as a board member on public, private, private equity and nonprofit boards.

30 Of The Best TED Talks On Leadership That Every Great Leader Should Watch – 2nd Edition (Inspiring Leadership Now)
Leadership is often a skill that’s self-taught. It comes as a result of being aware of the qualities you possess, the ones you lack, and the ones you respect and admire in others. And then as a result of this knowledge, working to constantly improve your leadership style through learning, self-evaluation and listening to feedback. These are crucial steps when deciding you want to lead others. To learn what some of the most forward-thinking and innovative experts have to say about leadership, check out our list of the crème de la crème of TED Talks on leadership.

Fortune’s 2017 World’s Greatest Leaders
In business, government, philanthropy and the arts, and all over the globe, these men and women are transforming the world and inspiring others to do the same. Read more about our fourth annual list here.

Punishing CEOs for Bad Behavior: 2017 Public Perception Survey (Stanford University)
In summer 2016, the Rock Center for Corporate Governance at Stanford University conducted a nationwide survey of 1,554 individuals—representative by gender, race, age, household income, and state residence—to understand how the American public views CEOs who engage in potentially unethical behavior, and the public’s determination of “fair punishment” for these actions.