Perhaps as an antidote to the level of discourse on leadership during this year's U.S. presidential elections, Brexit, and the seemingly endless supply of corporate scandals (Wells Fargo being the latest example), I've been thinking a lot about the MIT Sloan mission recently: " ... to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world and to generate ideas that advance management practice."
The phrase "principled, innovative leaders" especially has been on my mind—what does it mean, really? What qualities make a principled, innovative leader? Who are the principled, innovative leaders of our generation? Steve Jobs? Oprah Winfrey? Mark Zuckerberg? Are they empire builders or trail blazers? Maybe both? Are they always in the spotlight or working quietly behind the scenes? What difference does it make to employees, customers, shareholders, and society as a whole that business leaders are principled and innovative? The list of questions goes on and on, and it seems like a perfect opportunity to engage the wisdom of crowds to find answers.
Why is this important? Knowing what the MIT Sloan mission means to you can potentially guide the direction of our future executive education programs. That's why in the coming weeks I plan to ask anyone who is willing to share an opinion to do so. Please feel free to share examples or opinions of what principled, innovative leadership means to you, using the comment tool on this blog. What would you be encouraging me to keep in mind while I am thinking about articulating and implementing our vision of principled, innovative leadership at MIT Sloan Executive Education?
I appreciate your time and thoughts and look forward to reading your replies.
Respectfully,
Peter
