Moss Kanter helps leaders lead better.

Question: Beyond a simple title, how would you describe what you do for a living?

Rosabeth Moss Kanter: What I do for a living is I try to make a difference in the world. And I realize that's not very specific and I should pin it down a bit. But I am very interested in how we make the systems around us work to produce benefits for the people in them and the people that they serve. That's always been very important. I work with large companies, some of the most important global giants in the world. But I … I work with them about change, about transformation, about a positive impact. I've always stood for empowerment of people. And I do this through a combination of ways. It's the words I say and the words that I put in other people's mouths, because I get quoted frequently. I's through direct advice, doing research and projects for particular organizations. It's through my students at Harvard Business School and occasionally at Harvard College … the undergraduates that I influence. It's through my faculty colleagues. Now I'm working with faculty from public health and education, law, government and business on a new project where we think we can deploy leaders at later stages in their lives to solve key problems of the world in poverty, education, public health, environment. So … so I get a chance to work in all those domains, but I work through helping leaders become better leaders of major institutions.

Recorded on: 6/13/07