Leadership and business
GC talks to rising star in business theory Gautam Mukunda, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior at Harvard Business School, whose recent research looks at the way leaders are chosen in politics and business and comes up with some surprising results.
‘Some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them’, muses Malvolio, a steward in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and the victim of a cruel prank whereby he believes he might be elevated to his mistress’s side as consort.
The story of how individuals achieve greatness in organisations can also be a mix of development or chance, depending on the individual and the situation the organisation is in at the time. Whether they fit the ‘tried and trusted’ or the ‘outside maverick’ criteria can determine the success of the individual as leader.
