James Strock
Jacob Peter Gowy, The Flight of Icaras (1635-37) | Public Domain via Wikipedia
Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have been feted as golden CEOs of early twenty-first-century business. Their respective companies, Tesla and Facebook, are renowned for their imagination and audacity.
In recent months, though, what seemed smooth sailing has encountered choppy waters.
Yale University Old Campus at Dusk | Namkota | CC BY-SA 4.0
The historic crisis of confidence in elites has suddenly, unexpectedly, forcefully jumped across institutions, like an uncontrolled wildfire bursting through a clearing. The extent of damage is unknowable, yet surely catastrophic. The ecosystem of higher education in the United States will be significantly altered in the aftermath of the unfolding admission scandal. The disruption of educational institutions already underway may be accelerated.
McKinsey & Co. is a premier management consultancy, serving many of the world’s greatest corporations, as well as government agencies and other enterprises.
In recent months, long simmering controversies about McKinsey’s ethical compass have begun to boil over into public view. As summarized in Fortune, critics have alleged “conflicts of interest in McKinsey’s bankruptcy practice; raise[d] questions about its role in advising politically repressive regimes; and prob[ed] its ties to South African business leaders who were subsequently accused of corruption.”
This week is the anniversary of President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s farewell address.
Malala Yousafzai. UK Department for International Development [CC 2.0] via Wikimedia Commons.
Where can we find them?
The premise–stated or unstated–is that there’s a leadership gap today.
Who can argue against the spectacular failures of leadership in large institutions? They range from the White House and Congress (whether in the hands of the Democrats or Republicans); to Wall Street and back around to Main Street; in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors (including religious institutions); around the world.
It’s easy–perhaps too easy–to find reason for disappointment. And yet… there is also reason for optimism.
It’s often said that these are among the worst of times for leadership… it’s also, arguably, the best of times.
This list is updated quarterly. Please send your suggestions of other inspiring 21st century leaders.
James Strock