Entrenched boundaries can limit an organization's success; enlightened leaders see them not just as problems to solve but also as potential opporunities.

This article is based on the authors' book, Boundary Spanning Leadership: Six Practices for Solving Problems, Driving Innovation, and Transforming Organizations (McGraw-Hill, 2010).  The presented information reflects the experiences of actual leaders who participated in two Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) research projects: Leadership Across Differences (LAD), which involved researchers from around the world; and Leadership at the Peak, which collected survey data from senior executives participating in leadership programs.