“If you had a magic wand, and you could change one thing (but only one thing) in the world, what would it be?” 

This is a question I often ask people. There are many different answers: eliminating a disease, poverty, wars, giving freedom to people, etc. These are all great answers, but mine is: to have better leaders in the world. I am convinced that if we had better leaders in businesses and in politics, the world would be a (much) better place!

But what does it mean to be a “better leader”? – comes the immediate question. Of course, there are numerous models and concepts on great leadership, but if we look at the essence, it all comes down to two factors: Integrity and Impact through others.

Integrity reflects a leader’s ethical foundation—their commitment to universal values and moral principles like considering the perspectives and interests of other people over their own ego-driven desires, and respecting codes of integrity.

Impact, on the other hand, is the ability to drive real change, inspire teams, create true value and lasting results.

When we plot these two dimensions on a 2×2 matrix, four distinct leadership archetypes emerge:

1. The Great Leader (High Integrity, High Impact)
These are the leaders we admire most—those who drive meaningful change while maintaining strong ethical principles. They can put common value creation ahead of their own ego, inspire, innovate, and elevate others, leaving a lasting positive legacy. Great Leaders balance vision with values, power with purpose.

2. The Dictator (Low Integrity, High Impact)
This type of leader is effective but lacks ethical grounding. They achieve results through a mix of power, coercion, and manipulation, often at the expense of others. While they may reach impressive short-term success, their methods breed distrust, toxicity, and instability.

3. The Nice Person (High Integrity, Low Impact)
These individuals have strong ethics but struggle to make a real impact. They are well-meaning, respected, and kind, but their lack of leadership capabilities or strategic influence hold them back. They often avoid difficult decisions or fail to rally others around their vision, leading to minimal change.

4. The Weak Opportunist (Low Integrity, Low Impact)
This is the most ineffective quadrant—leaders who neither take decisive action nor uphold strong values. Lacking both courage and ethical direction, they play small, act out of self-interest, and avoid responsibility. They may shift blame, manipulate subtly, or simply fail to lead in any meaningful way.

Effective leadership requires not just one dimension, but both. The goal is to cultivate the mindset and skills necessary to move toward the Great Leader quadrant—where impact is driven by integrity, and influence is earned through trust and vision.

Who do you consider to be a Great Leader in CEE?

What should YOU develop on to become more of a Great Leader?

This article is by dr. László Eszes, CEO and Academic Director of SEED Executive School.