Leadership & People
Research insight
INVITED EDITOR
Editorial from
Global Center of Paradox and Organization
The mission of the Centre of Paradox & Organization is to advance and transfer paradox and plurality knowledge, not only to organizations but to society at large, in order to protect pluralism, diversity and democracy against divisive forces that polarize and impede dialogue.
July 16, 2024
8. Decent work and economic growth

8. Decent work and economic growth

Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
LEARN MORE

16. Peace, justice and strong institutions

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
LEARN MORE

17. Partnerships for the goals

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development
LEARN MORE

Does leadership learn? Study shows that 52% of managers consider “being born with a leader profile”

The Leadership Observatory Report 2020, developed by Nova SBE and in partnership with Haddad Foundation, has been referred to in a recent Executive Digest article.

Is leadership something you can learn or is it an inherent characteristic of only part of the professionals? The Leadership Observatory [Observatório Liderança] Report 2020 shows that there are those who believe in the vocation to command the destinies of organizations: after interviewing 25 renowned leaders working in Portugal, Nova SBE, in partnership with the Haddad Foundation, found that 52% considered “to have been born with leader profile ”.

The conclusion is part of a report under the motto “Paradoxical management challenges”, where it is also clear that, on the other hand, only 24% consider that leadership skills cannot be learned.

And what are the qualities of a leader? Asked about the reasons behind their success, the interviewees point to values such as resilience, persistence, curiosity, and hard work. In addition, 96% guarantee that they continue to invest in their education.

As for what they look for in the talents that accompany them, the leaders interviewed reveal that they look for characteristics such as adaptability, ethics, responsibility, curiosity, ability to work in teams and strategic vision. These are the factors to take into account when recruiting professionals for leadership positions.

Challenges lurking

In general, leaders view change positively and productively, avoiding seeing it as a threat. According to the Leadership Observatory Report 2020, “the growing need that leaders feel about integrating and combining the success of their business with the progress of society became evident in the interviews: 96% show concern about climate change caused by human action and 72 % believe they already promote great diversity in their teams.

As far as digital is concerned, there are other challenges to be taken into account, namely the slowness of processes or the tensions felt in the transformation of analog to digital processes. However, 92% of leaders consider themselves to be digitally capable and up-to-date on technological tools for their work needs.

Regarding a possible rise of the machines, 84% say they are confident that technologies such as artificial intelligence and automation "will above all facilitate tasks and not replace them".

Another challenge that hangs over all leaders is related to the balance between personal and professional life, with 84% of the leaders interviewed believing they have found a good balance. "Knowing how to delegate is one of the mechanisms mentioned", the same report indicates, although 48% admit that their days never go as planned.

Global Center of Paradox and Organization
The mission of the Centre of Paradox & Organization is to advance and transfer paradox and plurality knowledge, not only to organizations but to society at large, in order to protect pluralism, diversity and democracy against divisive forces that polarize and impede dialogue.
LEARN MORE
SHARE

Keep reading

Culture, Language, and Colours: How culture affects the decision-making process?

Have you ever thought about why we perceive Germans to be precise people? Or why we consider the Chinese to be math geniuses? In a world where we tend to assume everyone thinks the same as we, members of the Western world, do, and ignore the potential effects of culture, you might be surprised as to just how powerful some of these small differences can be.

Enhancing optimization planning models for health human resources management with foresight

António Alvarenga, Adjunct Associate Professor at Nova SBE, recently co-authored a research paper on the need of health planners to adjust the supply of health human resources to achieve a balanced healthcare workforce. Read more about the research paper and main highlights.

The campaign that made a difference at GALP

Galp shares best practices of inclusion resulting from their active participation in the Commitment to Inclusion by Inclusive Community Forum.

A Caminho de Belém ¬ Road to Belem

Nova Debate recognizes the importance of an informed choice, so we challenged all the seven candidates to the Portuguese presidential elections to be subject to an interview aimed at the youth and conducted by our members. The results? Seven meaningful conversations that makes us understand who the candidates are and what they stand for.

THE CHOICES OF

Nova SBE awarded at the 1st edition of the EFFAS Gasperini Awards

Professors Miguel Ferreira and José Tavares and Nova SBE PhD student Sharmin Sazedj were awarded the first edition of the EFFAS Gasperini Awards, where they represented Nova SBE

Subscribe our weekly newsletter

By subscribing to the Nova SBE Role to Play newsletter, you can stay up-to-date on the latest articles posted on the website.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

We all have a role to play

We are on a mission to be a community dedicated to the development of talent and knowledge that impacts the world.

With just ten years to go, an ambitious global effort is underway to deliver the 2030 promise. We want to take a stand and we are calling on our community to showcase how they are contributing to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, whilst influencing more and more people to unravel their role to play.

Here, you will find four different ways your ideas can flourish, dialogue can be enhanced, and action can take place. You can choose one or all four, and Nova SBE will be there to support you all the way and guarantee tangible change.

We all have a role to play, and this is your way in.