Madame Lagarde has always quickly grasped competing interests of the relevant stakeholders and is able to provide constructive responses. While it might have been tempting to condemn multinationals for engaging in sophisticated ‘tax optimisation’ schemes, for example, it is more constructive to identify the factors which facilitate that and evaluate the options for removing them. In every case Lagarde chose the latter. She seemed genuinely committed to the constructive route which is a welcome priority for any leader. Christine Lagarde’s Leadership Legacy