Fortune Magazine in its Dec 12, 2005 edition have an interesting report on Lessons in Leadership, which asked some questions from seven respected CEOs about leadership. Here are some of the highlights and quotes:

There is a heirarchy of commitments. On the highend, you have disciples — people who really believe in what you’re doing and in you. And in the low end, it’s saboteurs. And there’s everything in between. There are skeptics and fence sitters, and wait-and-see types. So I had to make sure that we got rid of the saboteurs, built a strong cadre of disciples, and moved all the fence sitters to the positive side. - A.G. Lafley, CEO, Procter and Gamble, 2000-present

The great balance of leadership is to have fervor over what you believe, but not be afraid to admit when you are totally wrong…. You have to be willing to swallow your pride, but as long as you care most about your product, then you don’t mind. — Carley Roney, Editor in Chief, The Knot

For the question whether its better to be loved or feared, I think it’s better to be trusted. Fear kills candor and guarantees that the organization will perform below its potential. And the problem with being loved as a single element is that it does not mean they respect you. — Kevin Sharer, CEO, Amgen, 2000-present

Loved or Feared? No right-thinking person wants to be feared. Fear is a negative emotion It is one that inhibits performance. Who wants to be feared? I think the better word is “respected”. - Stanley o’ Neal, CEO, Merrill Lynch, 2003-present

Taking yourself too seriously is the worst thing you can do. I have a sense of hmor, but there have been times when I also take myself too seriously. That’s especially true with new leaders. They’re in the spotlight, and feel as if they always need to have the right answer to protect their image. But really, you just have to be proud of who you are naturally. - Carol Bartz, CEO, Autodesk, 1992-present

When finding future leaders, look for integrity. I think this is a bedrock requirement. Beyond that, it’s clarity of thought. How a person attacks a problem or an oportunity is often more important than the conclusion he comes to, because it tells you something about how this individual is going to face other situations. - Stanley O’ Neal

The things that are important for a leader is being open-minded, having a willingness to really ask for and accept advice, showing a sense of humility, and putting the right people in the right seats. - Hank Paulson, CEO, Goldman Sachs, 1998- present

When trying to persuade people to adopt a course of action, you don’t try to change their minds as much as you try to show that it serves their own interests. - Paul Tagliabue, NFL Commissioner, 1989-present

We have to become a data-driven manager, and know how to think for ourselves. I think we have a tendency toward ading imaginary complexities to a problem which is already unimaginably complicated. Let’s think for ourselves. Let’s not repeat mindlessly, or automatically… suppositions that are true merely because somebody else says they are.” — Andy Grove, Intel Chairman, 1998- present