THE WORLD’S #1 EXECUTIVE COACHING AND BUSINESS COACHING BLOG SINCE 2017.
Published On: December 2, 2025 | Last updated on: December 2, 2025 | Author: John Mattone | Category: Blog, Intelligent Leadership
As I work with leaders around the world, I am reminded that meaningful impact has nothing to do with titles or authority. Real impact comes from who you are: your character, your intention, and your disciplined commitment to taking action. The leaders shaping global business today are the ones who choose to grow continuously, serve selflessly, and elevate the people around them.
From famous business leaders who built iconic companies to innovative business leaders who transformed their fields, each figure demonstrates what it takes to become a great business leader.
This resource will help you understand how successful leaders drive business success and how corporate leadership continues to evolve. Use this guide to learn what defines a successful business leader among today’s top industry leaders.
In my books “Intelligent Leadership” and “The Intelligent Leader,” I explain that the strength of their inner core distinguishes influential leaders. Character, values, emotional maturity, and disciplined thinking shape a leader’s style, elevate their potential, and enable visionary leadership that produces lasting organizational success.
In my work with leaders worldwide, I’ve found that true influence emerges from four essential drivers: inner core strength, agility, humility, and a deep commitment to purpose and relationships.
In Intelligent Leadership, I outline that leadership effectiveness begins within. Character, values, a balanced self-concept, and strong thinking patterns create the foundation that great leaders rely on.
When the inner core is strong, everything in the outer core becomes more consistent and credible.
I emphasize that emotional maturity and learning agility determine how well leaders adapt.
Thinking agility enables successful leaders to navigate complexity, make informed decisions, and enhance long-term performance.
Across my books, I teach that influential leaders grow by looking inward with honesty and integrity.
Humility and vulnerability open the door to improvement, strengthen leadership potential, and reinforce trust within the organization.
Influential leaders operate with purpose and build relationships grounded in trust and service.
These qualities elevate leadership style from routine management to visionary leadership, playing a direct role in organizational success within modern corporate leadership.
Across my career, I’ve had the privilege of observing many leaders who demonstrate the inner-core strength, courage, and purpose that define truly influential leadership. The thirteen leaders highlighted here, Steve Jobs, Jack Welch, Warren Buffett, Sheryl Sandberg, Tim Cook, Bob Iger, Indra Nooyi, Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, Reshma Saujani, Jack Ma, Melinda Gates, and Oprah Winfrey, each embody these qualities in distinct ways.
Some transformed entire industries through visionary thinking, while others reshaped culture, expanded opportunity, or elevated organizational performance through humility, emotional maturity, and a commitment to serving others.
Together, they illustrate how great leadership is not defined by title or fame but by character, disciplined thought, and the desire to create lasting impact.
Steve Jobs stands among the most influential business leaders in the tech industry, best known for transforming Apple Inc. into a valuable company that reshaped global technology.
Under his visionary leadership, Apple introduced groundbreaking products, including the iPhone and the MacBook, setting new standards for innovation.
In our coaching sessions, I witnessed his extraordinary creative genius and remarkable ability to distort reality, traits that helped him think differently and disrupt entire markets.
Yet, he later admitted that greater humility would have made him a stronger leader and person. Jobs reflected core qualities I teach successful leaders, including courage, disciplined thinking, and a commitment to inner growth.
Levy’s Harvard analysis shows that Jobs’ visionary intensity, exacting standards, and ability to shape culture defined his “celebrity CEO” impact. These traits exemplify the inner-core courage and disciplined thinking I champion in Intelligent Leadership.
Jack Welch led General Electric during a period of profound change and became known as one of the industry leaders who reshaped modern corporate performance.
His transformative leadership helped GE achieve significant business success by focusing on strategic thinking, talent development, and operational discipline.
In conversations and interviews, I have often referenced his intense standards and unwavering commitment to excellence, qualities that required courage and learning agility.
Welch understood that past success only matters when leaders continue to grow internally. His disciplined approach and relentless drive offer valuable lessons for any leader seeking long-term impact.
Warren Buffett, chairman and chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway, is widely recognized as one of the most influential business leaders in the world. His long-term investment approach and disciplined strategic thinking helped build one of the most valuable companies in history.
Buffett’s success stems not from complexity, but from clarity, patience, and emotional maturity, traits that closely align with the principles I teach.
His humility, calm decision-making, and focus on integrity demonstrate strong inner core strength, which supports a consistent leadership style and long-term business success.
Buffett’s ability to build strong relationships and stay purpose-driven reflects the mindset of truly successful leaders.
In his 1996 HBR article, Bill Gates highlights Buffett’s clarity, emotional steadiness, and integrity-driven decisions. These qualities mirror the inner-core maturity and disciplined thinking I champion as essential to enduring leadership.
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Sheryl Sandberg, former Chief Operating Officer of Meta, is recognized as one of the most influential voices in modern corporate leadership. Her work helped scale Meta’s global operations and strengthened the company’s focus on people, culture, and leadership skills that drive business success.
Sandberg’s advocacy for women in leadership has expanded conversations about leadership potential worldwide.
Her emphasis on authenticity, humility, and people agility aligns closely with the principles I teach in my work. She demonstrates how inner strength, clear communication, and a commitment to developing others can elevate both personal impact and organizational performance.
Tim Cook, chief executive of Apple Inc., stepped into one of the most challenging succession roles in the tech industry by following Steve Jobs. He brought a calm presence and emotional maturity that reflects the inner core strength I teach in my work.
Cook’s steady leadership style emphasizes consistency, operational excellence, and quiet confidence, all of which help motivate employees and sustain organizational success.
Under his guidance, Apple has continued to grow as one of the world’s most valuable companies, proving that successful leaders do not need loud voices to make a powerful impact.
His focus on values, discipline, and people-centered leadership continues to shape Apple’s culture.
Bob Iger, longtime leader of the Walt Disney Company, helped strengthen an internationally beloved brand through clear vision and disciplined execution. His tenure was marked by major acquisitions and creative expansions that significantly elevated Disney’s global influence.
Iger’s calm presence and steady emotional maturity reflect qualities I emphasize in strong inner core leadership. His ability to build trusting relationships, listen deeply, and make thoughtful decisions showcases leadership skills that inspire teams at every level.
Through visionary leadership grounded in humility and purpose, Iger demonstrated how character and clarity can guide a complex organization toward lasting success.
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Indra Nooyi, former chief executive of PepsiCo, is widely respected among business leaders for her ability to combine financial discipline with a deep understanding of global culture.
Her strategic thinking helped strengthen PepsiCo’s long-term performance and positioned her as a successful business leader with significant global influence.
Nooyi’s people-focused approach, humility, and strong character align closely with the leadership values I teach, especially the importance of developing leadership potential from within.
Her commitment to listening, learning, and creating inclusive workplaces demonstrates how inner strength and emotional maturity can drive sustainable success in complex organizations.
Andrew Carnegie is remembered as one of the most influential business leaders in history, and historians cite Andrew Carnegie as a defining figure of the steel industry.
Through Carnegie Steel, he helped shape the modern business world and set new standards for industrial growth. His remarkable rise from modest beginnings to extraordinary success reflects disciplined thinking and an unwavering drive to improve.
Later in life, Carnegie devoted a significant portion of his fortune to philanthropy, investing in education and public institutions. This commitment to giving aligns strongly with the values of abundance and altruism that I teach.
His life demonstrates how true influential leaders create impact far beyond business achievements.
Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company, remains one of the most influential business leaders in the history of the auto industry. His introduction of mass production revolutionized manufacturing and helped make automobiles accessible to millions.
Ford’s achievements reflect the learning agility and courage that drive lasting business success, qualities I emphasize in my work with leaders.
His willingness to rethink established processes and commit to bold innovation transformed not only his company but the modern economy. Ford’s legacy continues to remind us that influential business leaders create profound change by thinking differently and acting with purpose.
Harvard Business School’s examination of Ford highlights how his bold vision, process innovation, and determination reshaped modern manufacturing. His relentless pursuit of efficiency reflects the inner-core courage, disciplined thinking, and purpose-driven leadership I emphasize in Intelligent Leadership.
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Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code, has become one of the influential leaders advancing equity and opportunity in the technology sector. Her advocacy extends beyond coding education to include support for charter schools and initiatives that empower young people in third-world countries.
Saujani’s work reflects strong leadership skills and a deep commitment to service. Her courage to challenge systemic barriers aligns closely with the inner core leadership values I teach, especially the importance of purpose and character.
She continues to inspire leadership potential in others by demonstrating how bold action, empathy, and authenticity can drive meaningful change.
Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group, is recognized as a successful business leader whose influence extends across the global business world.
His vision helped transform Alibaba into one of the most powerful digital commerce ecosystems, demonstrating the impact an innovative business leader can create through perseverance and clarity.
Ma’s journey from teacher to global entrepreneur required immense resilience, a quality that aligns with my emphasis on courage and humility in leadership development.
His openness about failure, learning, and continuous growth reflects the inner strength that drives long-term success. Ma’s ability to unite people around a shared purpose continues to inspire leaders worldwide.
Melinda Gates, co-founder of the Melinda Gates Foundation, is widely regarded as one of the influential leaders shaping global progress through large-scale philanthropy.
Her work focuses on health, education, and opportunities for underserved communities, reflecting a leadership style grounded in compassion and strategic thinking.
Gates demonstrates how purpose, empathy, and disciplined action can create long-term impact far beyond traditional business success. Her commitment to lifting others aligns closely with the principles of altruism and abundance that I emphasize in my coaching work.
She continues to demonstrate how authentic service can redefine what meaningful leadership entails.
Oprah Winfrey, founder of the OWN Network, is one of the most influential business leaders in the history of media. Her ability to connect with global audiences and build a trusted brand reflects exceptional emotional intelligence and people-centered leadership.
Throughout her career, she has cultivated strong relationships that demonstrate the people agility I teach as essential for long-term growth.
Winfrey’s journey from modest beginnings to international impact highlights her leadership potential and commitment to purpose-driven work. She continues to inspire business leaders by showing how empathy, resilience, and authenticity can shape meaningful success.
Harvard’s case on Oprah Winfrey highlights her authentic communication, emotional intelligence, and purpose-driven brand leadership. Her empathy and resilience exemplify the inner-core maturity and people agility I champion in Intelligent Leadership.
Influential business leaders excel because they strengthen their inner core before seeking external results. In my books, I emphasize that great leaders cultivate character, emotional maturity, and disciplined thinking patterns that anchor their leadership style.
These inner qualities create humility, courage, and authenticity, all essential for long-term business success.
Leaders who embrace vulnerability and learning agility expand their leadership potential and deepen their ability to connect with others. Their people, agility, and sense of purpose drive organizational success and set the foundation for visionary leadership that lasts.
Aspiring business leaders can apply several practical lessons drawn from the individuals in this list. Each reflects an aspect of inner core strength that I emphasize in my work.
Influential leaders often rise because their inner core strengths shape a consistent and authentic leadership style. The categories below reflect how these individuals demonstrate the values I emphasize in my work, including purpose, emotional maturity, humility, disciplined thinking, and visionary leadership.
Each group highlights a different pathway to becoming a great business leader in modern corporate leadership.
| Category | Leaders | Description |
| Visionary Leaders | Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Jack Ma | Think differently, show courage, demonstrate visionary leadership rooted in purpose. |
| Transformative Leaders | Jack Welch, Jeff Bezos, Indra Nooyi | Elevate systems, apply disciplined thinking, drive organizational transformation. |
| Relationship Focused Leaders | Bob Iger, Sheryl Sandberg, Oprah Winfrey | Build trust, lead with empathy, and strengthen relationships through emotional maturity. |
| Legacy Builders | Andrew Carnegie, Henry Ford, Melinda Gates | Create long-term global impact through service, innovation, or philanthropy. |
Choosing which business leaders to follow in the business world requires focusing on inner core strength rather than popularity. The most influential business leaders demonstrate character, humility, emotional maturity, and clear purpose.
These traits reveal genuine leadership potential and the capacity to create lasting business success. Use the checklist below to evaluate whether a leader is truly worth following.
Follow leaders who:
Avoid leaders who:
This playbook outlines practical steps to retain top talent, build bench strength, and foster a high-performance culture. Designed for long-term impact, it’s a strategic guide for aligning leadership development with sustainable business growth.
If you are committed to strengthening your leadership skills and becoming the kind of great business leader who creates lasting impact, now is the time to take the next step.
Influential business leaders are not defined by title but by character, courage, and consistency, and you can develop these same qualities with the right guidance.
Whether you want to grow your leadership potential, elevate your team, or improve organizational success, reach out to our team today.
We are here to support your journey with clarity, expertise, and proven tools that accelerate meaningful growth. Contact us to begin!
Mattone states in Intelligent Leadership that the foundation is the inner core, which includes character, values, beliefs, self-concept, and emotional maturity. Leaders who strengthen the inner core create consistent behaviors that support long-term effectiveness and organizational success.
In The Intelligent Leader, Mattone explains that leadership maturity reflects learning agility, change agility, and people agility. Mature leaders remain curious, adapt quickly, and recognize how their behavior impacts others. This maturity predicts sustained effectiveness more than technical expertise alone.
Across his books, particularly Intelligent Leadership, Mattone notes that vulnerability opens the pathway to growth. Leaders who admit weaknesses, seek feedback, and reflect honestly accelerate improvement. Vulnerability strengthens relationships, increases trust, and elevates a leader’s capacity to lead with authenticity and courage.
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