Leaders build something

This article is part of the Contemporary leadership series

The undefinable nature of leadership and its relentless focus on the insecure world of change is disquieting, daunting and, perhaps, misses one of the big positive messages of leadership: it should be intent on building something. Leaders are builders – but not of monuments to their own brilliance. They want to achieve a goal.

Meet Jimmy Maymann, the Danish CEO of the Huffington Post. “I like to build things; companies, houses, sand castles, you name it”, he says. His building project of the moment is to take the online newspaper global.  His personal leadership journey is instructive.

Stuart Crainer is editor of the award-winning magazine Business Strategy Review and co-founder of the Thinkers50. According to Personnel Today he is one of the most influential people in British people management. His book credits include The Management Century and a biography of the management guru Tom Peters. His work with Des Dearlove in business thought leadership led Management Today to describe them as “market makers par excellence.” Stuart is an adjunct professor at IE Business School.