Read Real Leaders Don't Boss for Free Online

directors primarily white males.
Boardrooms more diverse; women lead major companies, though many argue the glass ceiling remains.
    â€œThat doesn’t, however, mean the qualities that always have distinguished true leaders don’t still hold true,” says attorney Bradbury. “Those qualities include honesty, leading by example, demonstrating character in all that one does, not asking someone to do what you would not, being kind and understanding, and being decisive and fair,” adds Bradbury, who also excels at grooming talented young attorneys for careers in judicial and legislative branches of government, and who is the first district attorney to be elected twice as president of the California District Attorneys Association. He continues:
    Leaders today must understand that they can no longer simply rely on “gut feelings” and doing it the way it was always done. The new leaders must be inquisitive and genuinely interested in change and learning. For example, they should become familiar with the new and rapidly expanding social media. A leader should learn from his/her employees and seek out opportunities to do so.... Older leaders must return to [leadership] “school” and learn to meld the new thinking, global and otherwise, with the tried-and-true characteristics of great leaders. 11
    Unfortunately, not all the developments and changes in today’s workplace are for the better. The trend toward excess in top-level management compensation and benefits has created significant challenges in the sphere of leadership, especially when considering changing demographics and attitudes in the workplace.
    The younger workforce—including growing numbers of Millennials—is far less enamored of traditional organizations, according to author Ron Alsop. 12 These workers tend to be more independent and less likely to remain in the same job for as long as their counterparts of the past. That creates major challenges for today’s managers. Again, these are not insurmountable challenges, and they come with big rewards. But ittakes new stimuli and incentives to retain these technologically savvy, bright, and environmentally conscious young minds, including more interesting assignments, frequent performance feedback, and company-supported affinity groups.
    Adding to the challenge, as the gulf in salaries and benefits between the top and bottom ranks of many organizations exceeds acceptable bounds, workers are much less likely to feel compelled to work harder, have a sense of loyalty, or feel responsible to help solve a company’s pressing challenges. These undervalued employees instead point to the C-suite with its bloated salaries, perks, and bonuses, and say, “Let them solve it!” Factor in today’s rocky economic environment that has forced many companies to eliminate some of their workforce in order to survive, and the fact that the traditional expectation that those remaining will pick up the slack doesn’t necessarily hold true anymore.
    The General Motors bailout and takeover is a prime example of the chasm between boardrooms, line employees, and market realities. Another example is the insurance giant American International Group (AIG), which the federal government bailed out to the tune of $85 billion and a majority ownership in 2008. In the case of both companies, the leadership enjoyed exorbitant salaries and lavish perks as the markets crumbled around them. (As of July 2011, AIG continued to struggle as it appears GM continued to rebuild.)
    The challenges of the 21st century aren’t insurmountable. They are simply new and different, and require real, enlightened leadership to step up and take the helm. Some companies and leaders already are doing just that, according to the Hay Group’s sixth annual
Best Companies for Leadership Study
and
Top 20
released in January 2011. The 2010 survey involved more than 1,825 organizations worldwide. Among the