A company may be defined by its vision, but its success ultimately lies in the visionaries who translate what they see. Whatever industry it may be in, a self- learning organization needs exemplary executive leadership in order to make the leap, as Jim Collins puts it, from good to great.

Over the years, many different views on leadership have been developed by specializations that range from psychology, socio-anthropology, to management. One model by Gadeken identifies six behavioral competencies of outstanding project managers and consequently, every leader: sense of ownership/mission, political awareness, relationship development, strategic influence, interpersonal assessment and action orientation.

Another concept deemed essential in influential leadership involves understanding the trade of organizational currencies. Common examples of these are task-related, position-related, inspiration-related, relationship-related, and personal-related currencies.

There is an abundance of tools, principles and entire paradigms that executives of any company can adopt. At the end of the day, however, it all boils down to the level of commitment, ingenuity, and sagacity of its executive teams.

A number of businesses must be singled out for their exemplary top leadership. Three such companies are technology giant Dell, global liquor brand Bacardi, and distinguished firm Wilmer Hale.

At Dell, everyone understands that the company culture revolves around the principles of quality and genuine value for the customer. The executive team of the company is composed of presidents with particular areas of focus such as the public, small and medium business, large enterprise and the consumer. Harnessing the competencies of every division’s heads is Dell’s main man Michael S. Dell himself. As the chief executive officer and chairman of the board, he molded Dell to become the company of choice by individuals as well as by every single company that topped the ranks of Fortune 100.

Leading a family business entails numerous complexities that spring from the relationship tension between the financial side and the family aspect of the company. A few names would stand out from the norm, however, with their dedication to the values of its founder. Bacardi Limited continues with its tradition of providing only premium liquor under the strong hand of president and chief executive officer Seamus McBride. Today, the company has tasked the seasoned executive to take Bacardi’s portfolio and rich history, and shape it with forward-focused strategy in its international markets.

Meanwhile, the lawyers at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP have made it their second nature to exhibit and practice professionalism in everything. Its organizational structure consists of the Management Committee, Senior Administrative Leadership Group and the Practice Leadership Committee. Under the lattermost division, there are five practices that specialize in litigation, corporate and transactional, intellectual property, securities, and regulatory and government affairs. The man who oversees the operations of the entire firm as executive director of both the Management Committee and the Administrative Leadership group is none other than the eminent Scott Green.

One person may not be enough to run an entire organization on his own; however, a good leader can somehow shape its future. Therefore, executive leadership that seeks to transform the company’s products, processes and people into the most that they can become, is a necessity if the aim is to break into a rapidly growing competitive global market.