Quotes and Advices from Top Leaders given during WEF Open Forum 26th January 2012

Responsible Leadership in Times of Crisis

In an era of rapid change and complex crises, leaders need to be able to make bold decisions quickly. Yet they often struggle to take the action needed to tackle economic, political and social issues, allowing their judgement to be clouded by short-term policies aimed at winning elections. 

The following speakers participated:

Ehud Barak, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of Israel
Jean-Claude Biver, Chairman of the Board, Hublot, Switzerland
Gordon Brown, Member of Parliament, United Kingdom
Martin Burt, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Fundacion Paraguaya 
Brice Koch, Member of the Group Executive Committee, Executive Vice-President, ABB, Switzerland
Jean-Claude Trichet, President of the European Central Bank (2003-2011)

Quotes and Advices from Speakers above

Brown: Women leadership will be very important for needed changes within coming 15 years 

Barak: A leader needs to have deep intuition 

Biver: A leader who doesn't listen is a very dangerous leader

Biver: If you don't know what to do for too long your not a leader

Barak: No shortage of leaders with bad character in the past 

Barak: Leadership is more about character than about IQ

Barak: Leader is someone who can convince people

Burt: Find your element, thats where your passion is crossing with what you are good at

Koch: Good leader needs to be fast

Koch: Be transparent, be yourself, be a person that can be trusted 

Biver: Qualities for leadership needed, same for business leaders and politicians

Biver: In business to be a leader is easier, in politics its much harder 

Biver: Fully agrees with Brown, leader needs vision, then needs courage

Brown: Huge pressure on politicians to act short term, but long term view/action is needed

Brown: Leadership requires courage, thats what matters most

Trichet: Leadership, sense of direction is needed