Hidden Champion Leaders

By Hermann Simon

For 30 years I have been researching midsize, little-known global market leaders. I call them “hidden champions” or Hcs for short. They often command global market shares of 50 percent or more and, with the ongoing globalization, have grown into multibillion-dollar businesses. I see the ultimate reason for their continuing success in their leaders. The following are the five common traits I observe in these leaders.