To download a printable version of this transcript, click here.
 
 
iQuestions Faculty, Ron Price 
 
 
Question: 
 
What makes a great leader? 
 
Answer: 
 
I’m often asked by people, “What makes a great leader?” And this is 
really a fascinating question, because there are so many different 
kinds of leadership.  
 
Can you really come up with one definition that fits all? I really don’t 
know if you can, but I’ll give it a stab. There are four essential roles 
that I see show up over and over again in great leaders that I’ve had 
the opportunity to work with.  
 
The first of the four roles is to brood creatively over purpose. Leaders 
have to establish a vision, a reason why we exist as an organization. 
And that involves brooding—thinking creatively, thinking about what 
we should become over the next three years, or five years, or ten 
years. So it begins with this brooding over creating a sense of purpose 
and vision.  
 
The second role of great leaders is they convert problems into 
opportunities. Really, when you think about it, we all solve problems. 
And if all the problems ever get solved, we’ll be unemployed. One of 
the marks of a great leader is when they see a problem they recognize 
it as an opportunity to advance in some area. 
 
The third role of great leaders is that they inspire people to make 
commitments they wouldn’t otherwise make. They give you that 
confidence, that belief, that you can create a better future, and so 
 
 
they get a commitment to come out of us. If you’re a great leader, 
that’s one of the things you look for in bringing that commitment out 
of others. 
 
And finally, the fourth role of great leaders is they serve a purpose 
greater than themselves. Great leaders begin to recognize that it’s not 
about self, it’s not about their advancing, and it’s not about their 
status or their ego. It’s about the privilege of having an opportunity to 
serve people, and to serve a purpose that transcends self-interest. 
 
In my mind, those are the four great roles for every great leader. 
To download a printable version of this transcript, click here.