Abstract
Companies are making great strides in their efforts to develop leadership talent and ability in their organizations, but predicting and consistently building leadership in the executive levels of the company remain very difficult endeavors. Many companies are investing in upper level leadership development programs, with a real hope for strategic benefits to their organization. Uncertainty remains as to what these leadership development programs should be teaching their participants, and whether real competitive advantage can accrue. This article stems from our recent review of the research and practitioner literature to document the approaches to leadership development being recommended by leadership experts and being performed by leading organizations.
The paper discusses current thought on what it takes to be a leader, how such can be instructed, and the approaches currently being used by three leading organizations. We provide a number of observations, interpretations, and suggestions for carrying out successful leadership development efforts.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.