The Globe and Mail

Opportunist

The opportunist serves only himself, often at the expense of others. Opportunists are obsessed with "What's in it for me?" Examples: Bernie Madoff, who developed the investment Ponzi scheme that primarily benefited him (until it sent him to prison); and Jeffrey Skilling, the ex-Enron CEO who also is behind bars.

Chameleon

Chameleons bend with the wind, trying to please as many people as possible by fitting in with everyone else's views. We know them in our companies and, of course, we also see them on the political stage. Prof. Maidique says that in business they tend to be weeded out before they rise too high, but in politics many prominent individuals fall into this category.

He cites two American examples: Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, who said of his stance on a bill to finance the war in Iraq: "I actually did vote for the [authorization bill] before I voted against it," and former Florida governor Charlie Christ, who repeatedly changed views on political issues and then jettisoned his Republican Party to run for the Senate as an independent.

Achiever

Achievers are probably the most common in executive ranks - leaders who always achieve, or beat, their goals. Management guru Peter Drucker essentially described their attitude when he wrote about a "monomaniac with a mission." This individual is focused, energetic, and results-oriented. But the weakness is obvious: Achievers can be narrow-minded, as they drive to the goal without much consideration of the broader mission. Prof. Maidique points to Mark Hurd, the ex-CEO of Hewlett-Packard, who doubled the company's stock price but "decimated the infrastructure and intellectual seed corn (R&D) of the company."

Builder

The builder goes beyond achieving a particular goal to building an institution. Builders manage for the long term, without being seduced by the pressures for short-term profits and continual high stock-market valuations. "They have a grand vision for the future of their organizations, and they infect others with their energy, enthusiasm, and integrity. These are the leaders we write books about, study, try to understand, and lionize," he notes. Examples: Two legendary leaders, Tom Watson of IBM and Alfred P. Sloan of General Motors.

Transcendent

The level six leader, transcendent, goes beyond his organization or group to benefit society as a whole. The Dalai Lama has said he starts every day by asking, "How can I make the world better today?" and Prof. Maidique asks us to imagine what would happen if business and political leaders started their day similarly. Builders are scarce, and this approach is even rarer. Examples: Along with the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr.