Although leadership researchers have alluded to a connection between talent and leadership, the relationship has not been explored.
The Solution
Leadership entails influence through inspiration. A key assumption of this article is that people inspire others when they themselves are inspired by what they do and, further, that such inspiration stems from authentic talent development. Authentic talent development is a process whereby individuals discover what they are good at and love to do, and use their talents to express their values. This article incorporates insights from the leadership authenticity and talent development literatures to present a framework of authentic leadership and talent development in sociocultural context. The framework illuminates how social identity ascription processes can thwart the course of an individual’s talent development efforts. It also shows how individuals can overcome these pressures by cultivating positive psychological capital (PsyCap), thereby pursuing personally resonant talent trajectories.
The Stakeholders
This article is relevant to Human Resource Development (HRD) researchers and scholar-practitioners, and those that design and deliver leadership development programs. It is also relevant to students of leadership in academic and corporate settings.
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