Leadership is not just about setting goals and establishing a vision. It's about energising the entire organisation with a passion to succeed. It's about simplifying issues and identifying the key drivers to success, and then focussing on execution. It's about picking great people and taking them beyond the limits of what they thought they could achieve. A true leader believes in being informal so that the flow of information is easy and quick.

It's true that leadership has different shapes and hues, and the world's business leaders represent all of them. Some are open, competitive and charismatic; others are quiet, consensual and not overly aggressive. In different instances, all of them have produced exceptional results, but the same leader in a different role falls flat on his face. Why? In many cases, it's not the lack of skills but the inability to change and adapt- to a new culture, a changing business environment or competitive pressures.

Leadership is about building a unique culture with terrific values but still being adaptable to change. Doing all of these with absolutely the highest level of integrity so that everyone in the organisation is proud to be a part of the business is what I think is right leadership. And, finally, it's about intensive people management to build an outstanding team. Mostly it is measurable by consistent, long-term, sustainable results.

Businesses that win or lose often do so not because of poor strategies but because they can't execute. Getting an organisation that focusses on execution as much as on strategy is vital. Leadership is also about being opportunistic as well as rigorous.

There are several contradictions within leadership. As Charles Darwin said-"It's not the strongest that survive, neither is it the most intelligent, but those most responsive to change."