In Op-Ed, HBS and HKS Deans Discuss the Traits of Effective Leaders
The public lacks confidence in both government and business leaders, Business School Dean Nitin Nohria and Kennedy School Dean Douglas W. Elmendorf wrote in an editorial for the non-profit media website "Project Syndicate" Monday.
Using examples of effective leadership from across the public and private sectors, Nohria and Elmendorf argued that leaders must demonstrate certain traits in order to regain the trust of their constituents.
Their editorial on leadership comes as Harvard searches for its 29th president—a role faculty and alumni say could be filled by Nohria himself.
The deans opened their op-ed with two statistics from the Edelman Trust Barometer, which measures public trust in governments, businesses, NGOs, and media organizations around the world. According to their 2017 poll, 63 percent of people globally consider CEOs not credible or only somewhat credible. This percentage rises to 71 percent for government officials.