LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT: DOES NOT FIT ALL
Sunday, March 1 2009
WITH OUR ECONOMY IN AN APPAREN FREE-FALL, THERE IS A LOT OF PESSIMISM SURROUNDING LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND ITS USE IN ORGANIZATIONS TODAY.
SO WHAT'S WRONG? By Paula Ketter
Millions of dollars are being spent annually on leadership development programs, but corporate America is in crisis, confidence in leaders is plummeting, and a recent DDI survey finds that more than one-third of all new leaders fail. What's wrong with leadership development?
"The bar is higher," says Richard S. Wellins, senior vice president of Development Dimensions International. "Leaders need to manage globally. There has been more stockholder accountability and failure at me top of organizations. The job may not be as easy as it used to be. The workforce is more diverse and more demanding."
Is it really all about expectations of a leader or is it more complex? Is there confusion about the definition of a leader? Are leadership development programs falling short in their skills development, design, delivery, and accountability? Or, are organizations falling short in our selection of high potentials?