Key factors of the leaders of 21st century

What are the factors that a leader has to have to be effective? Are variables like temperament, personality and the authority still active? Is the information or knowledge a new variable that makes a modern leader effective? Identifying the key factors that a 21st Century leader must have is one of the questions of today's organizations and is the objective of this article. Through fieldwork we managed to interview many Ecuadorian leaders; who generated diverse and new points of view about leadership nowadays and the impact of aspects like ethics and axiology on this topic. We were surprised about the important axiological focus the interviewed had, which undoubtedly had become an evolution parameter of the Ecuadorian thought about this topic. The article aspires to contribute to the development of a new culture of values in modern leadership to consider it more effective.