The most common focus of leadership studies over past decades has been on how to motivate employees, manager actions, and narrow aspects of the leadership process (e.g., when to use participation). This essay focuses on an aspect of leadership that has received less attention: the variety of decisions that have to be made by top leaders (CEOs), i.e., the intellectual core of leadership. It is argued that success depends on making decisions about numerous tasks that the leader must perform on a continuing basis. Motivating subordinates will not help the leader succeed unless the right tasks are chosen, and the tasks are performed effectively. The process of creating a code of values to guide employee actions is itself one of those tasks, and it requires the same careful thought as the leader’s other responsibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]