A world leader in any endeavor is typically a person that:

Quality

Has 10+ years of working experience in a given subject matter area of interest, and at best, is an older person with a lifetime of experience
Is multiskilled and interdisciplinary in their approach - has a high ability to cross boundaries between disciplines of knowledge and practice or between or sectors of society
Is recognized for such excellence as a Fellow of noteworthy organizations (TED, Shuttleworth Foundation, McArthur Fellow, Nobel Prize winner, etc), keynote speaker, a leader of an important organization, or other distinction.

Networks