What Qualifies as a Leader?

Historical reading note — updated 13 September 2026

This page was first published in June 2021 as part of our leadership reading collection. We have retained its place in the company’s history and clarified the source.

Original reading: “What Makes a Leader?” by Daniel Goleman, Harvard Business Review, January 2004.

Read the original article: https://hbr.org/2004/01/what-makes-a-leader

An Exportunity perspective

Working across companies and countries calls for clear communication. Before making a commitment, understand the other party’s needs, agree who owns the next step and record what has been decided. When circumstances change, explain the change promptly and resolve open questions together.

These are practical habits we want to support as Exportunity develops its trade network. They help turn a promising conversation into work that people can follow through on.

Explore current Exportunity services and start a business inquiry: https://exportunity.net/