What makes a future leader? Accenture and the Alliance for Strategic Leadership ask and find out.(Visionaries In Debit & Debit Processing)

Accenture Consulting in coordination with Marshall Goldsmith's Alliance for Strategic Leadership recently conducted a multi-country study to determine what characteristics defined the leader of the future.

More than 120 corporations around the world were asked to identify which two individuals had the potential to become the CEO of a global organization. "What was fascinating about studying these particular individuals is that they are the leaders of the future, not the leaders of today," said Mr. Goldsmith. "These are individuals with a great deal of promise and talent, individuals who are marked for success and succession if you will."

In the course of this study, Mr. Goldsmith's team compared the desired characteristics of leaders past and future. "Many characteristics like vision, integrity, focus on results and ensuring customer satisfaction were seen as factors that were always critical today and in the future," he said. In addition, five competencies that were seen as being more important to the future stood out and set …