IBM asks 'How has the nature of leadership changed in the new economic environment?'

In their global annual survey of 1,500 business leaders IBM has looked at how leadership has changed in the post credit crunch economy. One result is that 'Creativity' is an essential quality for any leader.

'For CEOs and their organizations, avoiding complexity is not an option — the choice comes in how they respond to it. Will they allow complexity to become a stifling force that slows responsiveness, overwhelms employees and customers, or threatens profits? Or do they have the creative leadership, customer relationships and operating dexterity to turn it into a true advantage?  

Today's complexity is only expected to rise, and more than half of CEOs doubt their ability to manage it. Seventy-nine percent of CEOs anticipate even greater complexity ahead. However, one set of organizations - we call them "Standouts" - has turned increased complexity into financial advantage over the past five years.  

Creativity is the most important leadership quality, according to CEOs. Standouts practice and encourage experimentation and innovation throughout their organizations. Creative leaders expect to make deeper business model changes to realize their strategies. To succeed, they take more calculated risks, find new ideas, and keep innovation in how they lead and communicate.'

To find out more you can register and download the survey results here.