So here’s my answer to last week’s questions. To the question whether there are leadership attributes which are universally recognised, I would say, yes. Being credible, inspiring a shared vision, delegating and empowering others, being forward thinking – these are attributes which can be found in leaders across the world. But is there universal agreement about what makes a good leader, and who is a good leader? For me, no, there is not. And that’s where the problems of international diplomacy start. For instance, the leaders of the Mexican drug cartel who recently ordered 17 people in a drug addiction rehabilitation centre to be lined up and executed may have a vision which is shared by their followers. They may (and clearly do) delegate some of their activities to their followers. They may be credible for their followers. Their brutality may mark them as good leaders for their followers because that is seen as part of their path to success. I, on the other hand, do not regard such leaders as good because I don’t share their vision or ethics. They do not match my paradigms.

Whether a leader is viewed as being a ‘good leader’ or not depends entirely on the culture, beliefs and aspirations of that leader’s followers. If the leader’s vision and methods fit their view of what is good or acceptable, then he or she may well be regarded by those followers as good. These same goals and methods, though, may be unacceptable to those from other cultures or to those with different personal rules. This poses a huge challenge to leaders working internationally, and explains why diplomacy between nations is often so difficult.

In this connection, I had a wonderful experience this morning. I was able to spend two hours talking to nine members of an international company in Z√ºrich on exactly these questions – like having my own private strategic alliance! We agreed that there are indeed attributes of leaders which are displayed in leaders worldwide. However, when it came to a universally recognised view of what makes a good leader, we debated. But then one of the group clarified things beautifully for us all. She suggested that while there are leadership attributes which are common to leaders anywhere, it’s with the goals and methods of individual leaders that dissention begins. Those goals and methods are likely to be so diverse that universal condonement is virtually impossible.