Leaders see opportunities, while others see barriers. Leaders see fortuitous events rather than obstacles, and leaders know that every experience is a learning event. This sustained learning adds to the knowledge and experience base. In times of crisis, leaders must be learned and capable enough to apply the theoretical to the practical; be able to synthesize the major ideas into application - a plan of action. Those who are not able to do so, are quickly left behind, and out.

Leadership can be studied from many perspectives (actions, attitudes, results, outcomes), across multiple domains of learning and motivation (cognitive, emotional, affective, spiritual, behavioral) and covering diverse situations (political, economic, business, and organizational). There is no lack of research and inquiry into leaders, leadership, characteristics and traits. And the debate `can leadership be taught' continues to be a rich source of conversation for business schools and those in training and HRD. Most agree that leadership is a combination of skills and will - experiences, knowledge of subject matter and content, coupled with knowledge of people, and a desire to move into positions that foster and allow for individual development.

Good leaders are studied, as are poor ones, with a detailed review of what circumstances attributed to their success or failure, and wherein the event a different choice should have occurred. Case studies in schools of business do this as part of the curriculum. A post-hoc appraisal is always an opportunity to learn from both mistakes and achievements, and good leaders usually have an individual they have studied through the years as role models or otherwise. Some are examples they aspire to be - or not - while others provide a framework for understanding their own views on leadership. What has changed over the past several decades is the holistic notion that an entire system is considered rather than simply its individual components. The focus is on the system and the interaction of the units within the system. The study of the system is complex and a system's way of thinking will be a necessary skill for senior and executive leadership teams in organizations. Leaders of influence span positions that range from politics (Nelson Mandela, Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev), technology (Bill Gates, Sergey Brin, Larry Page), faith (Pope John Paul II), business (Sam Walton, Howard Schultz), science (Stephen Hawking, Francis Collins, J Craig Venter) - the list transcends all occupations, fields, nations and cultures. Leaders who rise to the top, particularly in times of crisis, are those extraordinary individuals who can, and do, exert influence for change and do so across geographical boundaries.

In the global setting that we live, work and operate in today, considering the many facets that transcend this setting (culture, language, politics, economics, technology and social norms), it may be the ability to sustain leadership that defines the extraordinary leader. Moreover, leaders who are able to maintain longevity in times of crisis, particularly in the international arena, are even more exceptional. Perhaps, understanding the learning that is required of leaders in order to maintain and remain competitive is another facet to explore.

MBA Review Magazine, Self-directed Leadership, Business Schools, Interpersonal Skills, Executive Leadership Teams, Social Norms, Organizational Leadership, Problem Solving Skills, Economic Growth, Social Networking.