Professor Graham Jones, founder of Top Performance Consulting, outlines how we can ensure the future health of our organisations through ‘real’ leadership.

My experience of coaching numerous senior leaders has led to my realisation that there are two broad sets of motives for being a leader that drive different behaviours and lead to different impacts on organisations. I have consequently identified two types of leader, which I call ‘real’ and ‘safe’. 

‘Real’and ‘safe’ leaders

At times, South Africa’s electricity suppliers can no longer meet demand; so until supply once again catches up, the emphasis is on reducing demand, as Jeff Daniels learns.

China espouses the concept of balance and in this it has a natural partner in Nestlé, a company that is finding its established philosophy of shared value and localisation appreciated in the world’s fastest changing society.

Allantone Supplies focuses on keeping the maritime traffic that bustles around the UK well supplied with fuel. Running a short-notice, niche operation, the company makes customer service its top priority.

Shell has agreed to buy East Africa-focused Cove Energy in a deal worth £1.12 billion, it has been announced.

London-listed Cove will be acquired by the energy giant’s Shell Bidco subsidiary.

The acquisition marks Shell's entry into Kenya and Mozambique, with potential for new LNG from recent gas discoveries offshore Mozambique. Shell already has interests in Tanzania.

The Timken Company held a groundbreaking ceremony today to mark the commencement of work on a $225 million expansion of the Faircrest Steel Plant in Stark County, Ohio.

The investment by the specialty alloy steel and industrial components manufacturer is expected to improve the Faircrest plant's productivity, expand its product range and increase capacity to serve growing demand for Timken specialty alloy steel bars.

Swiss food giant Nestlé has agreed to acquire Pfizer Nutrition for $11.85 billion, it has been announced.

Nestlé said the acquisition would be a strategic fit with its infant nutrition business, given US-based Pfizer Nutrition’s complementary portfolio and strong presence in high-growth markets.

Nestlé described Pfizer Nutrition as a high-quality, high-growth infant nutrition business with strong brands, value-creating and accretive to the Nestlé model.

GE, the largest industrial company in the United States, reported its eighth consecutive quarter of operating earnings growth in Q1 2012.

While total revenue fell 8 percent to $35.2 billion compared with the same quarter of 2011, this year’s figures do not include revenues from NBC Universal, in which a majority stake has been sold to Comcast.