The 2002 HBR List: Enter the Everyday Leader--at Last (HBR OnPoint Collection)

In the past decade, U.S. CEOs have been elevated to a kind of American royalty. The extreme case, of course, is Jack Welch, who has become a celebrity in his own right. But with the economy's recent nosedive, high-flying companies have suddenly become average performers--or worse. And their CEOs have lost some of their luster. Suddenly, organizations everywhere are recognizing the value that regular old managers far from the limelight bring to the everyday functioning of business. And suddenly, it is OK for leaders to be mere mortals. This collection explores the value of such everyday leaders, including often overlooked (or even unfairly maligned) middle managers; "tempered radicals," leaders who transform their organizations at the grassroots level; and "quiet leaders," people who are most effective solving problems by working behind the scenes with modesty and restraint. Though these individuals don't make headlines, they do keep their companies moving forward. The three Harvard Business Review articles in this collection: "In Praise of Middle Managers" by Quy Nguyen Huy (HBR reprint R0108D), "We Don't Need Another Hero" by Joseph L. Badaracco, Jr. (HBR reprint R0108H), and "Radical Change the Quiet Way" by Debra Meyerson (HBR reprint R0109F).