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September 2, 2025 18 mins

Guest: Gama Perruci

What if leadership really isn’t about leaders anymore?

 

We revisit our eye-opening conversation with the late Dr. Gama Perruci — former Dean of the McDonough Leadership Center — as he challenged the “lone leader” and “hero leader” narratives we love so much. Instead, he found what works best for business is a powerful five-component leadership model: Leader, Follower, Goal, Context, and Culture.

Here's what Gama and Maureen covered:

  1. Why context determines the most effective leadership style, far and above personality;
  2. What the difference between the American and French Revolutions teach us about better leadership today; and
  3. The true business imperative for our dynamic, interconnected world.

 

 

Produced in collaboration with the International Leadership Association: https://ilaglobalnetwork.org/.

Other episodes you'll enjoy:

Forget Power: How to Lead in a World of Chaos & Complexity – with CEO Michelle Harrison

- Cultivating Cross-Cultural Leadership with Bjorn Ekelund

- To Stop a Tyrant: How Five Types of Followers Make (or Brake) a Toxic Leader with Ira Chaleff

For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.

RESOURCES:  

The book Gama and Maureen referenced is Understanding Leadership: An Arts & Humanities Perspective. It’s in paperback at https://amzn.to/3JBRpTT, and Kindle at https://amzn.to/3JBRpTT.

 

Another book you’ll enjoy from Gama is Global Leadership: A Transnational Perspective. It’s in paperback at https://amzn.to/4nftSGS, and Kindle at https://amzn.to/41xsZRq.

 

Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here

 

Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.

 

Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here

We may earn a small commission from Amazon when you purchase from these links.

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OUR PODCAST TEAM:  

Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf

Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko

Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan

Booking Producer: Jenna Reik

Sponsorship Sales: Kristine Gross

CONNECT WITH US: 

YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 

Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 

 

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 

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About Our Guest:  

Dr. Gama Perruci was Dean of the McDonough Center at Marietta College in Ohio and served as a leadership education consultant for The New York Times, a facilitator for the Young African Leaders Initiative, and a facilitator and the leadership programs at Dartmouth College’s Rockefeller Center.

 

Gama was a frequent guest on the BBC and the Paris-based Radio France International broadcast to Brazil, his country of birth. He served as a member of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library’s Academic Advisory Council and as the Board Chair of the International Leadership Association. Notably, he also served as a consultant for the review of the Department of Leadership, Ethics and Law at the United States Naval Academy and as an evaluator of Zayed University’s leadership program in Dubai, UAE.

 

Sadly, Dr. Perruci passed away in 2021.

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