Leadership is a continuum, at one extreme a pure visionary bound and determined to take the hill without a clue of how to do it. And at the other extreme a “manager” punching the clock day in day out while not missing a single un-crossed ‘T’ or un-dotted “I” So my question is this: Is it better to have an entire compay filled with leaders that fall dead center or a mix that covers a range around the center? Not sure I have the perfect answer, believe I could argue either side. In either case education and reward systems would need to be part of the equation.

You also touched on value creation, without discussing value capture and value delivery. You have to answer the – ‘if and how the company can make money” and “how the company can get the product/service to the customer” I have no doubt you were implying these in your entry, but there are plenty of folks out there that might spend valuable time and resources if they don’t take the time to answer all the question.

Last comment (thumbs getting tired from typing on iPhone).
There are three groups that need to be kept in the loop. The steakholders, the customer (buyer) and the user. Knowing the pain/needs/desires of all three will pay anyone or any project BIG dividends. Bypassing or ignoring any may not spell disaster but will lead to sub-optimal results.

Keep the entries coming

Many of the best “diving catchers” often are promoted into management roles due to their visibility, acts of heroism, and “can-do” attitudes. If these folks continue in what has made them “succesful” to that point (and it is human nature to do so) – the “diving catch” culture not only continues but intensifies.