The problem and the solution. Developmental relationships are distinct in that they serve as a source of leader development that spans organizational boundaries. These relationships are potentially more critical for women leaders due to their limited access to informal networks in the organizational context.This article explores the alignment between the essential attributes that emerged from women leaders' descriptions of their developmental relationships during career transition and the functions of developmental relationships identified as important for leader development. The analysis indicated that developmental relationships provide similar functions for women leaders during career transition as they do for leader development, supporting the notion that developmental relationships during career transition serve as an ongoing vehicle for leader development. However, three predominantly intraorganizational leader development functions were not consistently evident in these women's descriptions. Additionally, there was increased emphasis on the support element of developmental relationships during career transition. Implications for HRD practice and research are proposed.
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