22 MAGAZINE have difficulty leading others. Self-leadership requires method and discipline, like an athlete conscientiously training for the Olympics. Can you imagine Rafael Nadal without that iron will and discipline of his? By the way, I invite you to listen to what he said after his latest win at Roland Garros. It was a fine example of positive mentality and effort. Furthermore, leadership is not at odds with hierarchy, and it should not come to rest on the figure of the “boss.” In fact, existing and future organizations will be promoting horizontal and interpersonal leadership between departments, which is key for multidisciplinary teams and even multicultural and offshore teams. Leadership is influence, indeed, but it is also responsibility. Very seldom do we reflect on the latter, and it requires more maturity to exercise influence. Responsibility is demonstrated by accepting mistakes and making decisions. A modern leader’s responsibility has evolved one step beyond influence to stand alongside words with a semantic meaning similar to the ability to transcend and the capacity to inspire. These concepts – so intimately linked to the famous and overused concept of purpose – are key to understanding and defining the relationships we want to develop within the organizational system and in our personal lives: 1. Transcendental leadership: Back in 2008, magazine IESE Insight printed an article on mission-focused leadership. We talk about purpose in 2020, but the essence is the same. It is a type of leadership that not only seeks interpersonal transformation by providing employees with an attractive working environment in which to learn and commit themselves, but also seeks to push influence beyond those personal barriers and appeal to a need to get the job done for the common good. That shared purpose is sense of “mission,” in which each person takes ownership at every level through a commitment to the implemented purpose from top to bottom. It is a form of cooperation that consists of moving beyond one’s own interests to ensure that all employees can see the overall mission. Finally, it is change as a continuation and example of the skills and talent for working in pursuit of this shared purpose. 2. Inspiring leadership: Intimately related to those powerful qualities that make us unique and different, it is intrinsically related to that “charm” that directly appeals to our emotions, to the fast-growing need to want to be surrounded by people who energize and challenge us. And this type of leadership is one we can precisely recognize in others, where hierarchy has nothing to do with influence but rather with the powerful qualities that directly emerge and stand out by themselves. We call that type of person a mentor. The world and its people are eager for leaders who transcend or, better yet, move us, evoke emotions in us and change us. Let’s start with ourselves. A modern leader’s responsibility has evolved one step beyond influence to stand alongside words with a semantic meaning similar to the ability to transcend and the capacity to inspire