"'Landor's Cheryl Giovannoni has highlighted caution, flexibility and integrity as some of the personality traits that are necessary for business leaders in the recession. What traits do you think are essential and why?" See Richard Eisermann's response!

Motherly don’ts for leaders come to mind more than must have personality traits. “Don’t lie” - the truth does always come out in the end. Ask any MP. “Don’t think you’re smarter than everyone else” - hire geniuses and give them the space to let them do what they do best. An added plus is that there are a lot of them around these days. “And don’t forget, darling,” as my mother used to say as she was tightening my skates, “the thin ice is always the smoothest.”