The organizational elders

This article is part of the Contemporary leadership series

In public life, “The Elders,” chaired by Kofi Annan, is an independent group of global leaders who work together for peace and human rights.

The idea started with a conversation between entrepreneur Richard Branson and musician Peter Gabriel. The idea they discussed was simple: many communities look to their elders for guidance or to help resolve disputes. In an increasingly interdependent world—a global village—could a small, dedicated group of individuals use their collective experience and influence to help tackle some of the most pressing problems facing the world today?

Liz Mellon of Duke CE is author of Inside the Leader’s Mind (FT Prentice Hall 2011); and (with Simon Carter) of The Strategy of Execution (McGraw Hill, 2013).