Leadership development may be the most important thing any company does. That’s why, every week, I review blogs and other publications that cover leadership development to find the very best leadership development posts. This week, you’ll find pointers to posts about leadership development and neglected talent, leadership development and culture, deliberate practice, and how to succeed at succession.
From Evan Sinar: Hidden in Plain Sight: The Risky Reality of Neglected Leader Talent
“Leaders can take various paths while ascending the organization, and many do—in our research with thousands of mid and senior-level leaders, we’ve found that fewer than 1 in 3 spend their entire careers in a single function, with 1 in 8 spending a year or more in at least four different functions. With traditional organizational hierarchies flattening out due to economic pressures, moving exclusively upward in a company is increasingly rare, with most career paths resembling a climbing wall much more than a ladder. Cross-functional transfers and assignments are often essential for leader growth, and the time a leader spends in a particular function can be a defining characteristic of their experience.”
From Korn Ferry: Real World Leadership: Give leaders purpose and unleash their potential
“Our recent global survey explored issues surrounding culture change and leadership development. The research demonstrates that organizations see the need to make a priority of culture to drive alignment, collaboration, and performance. Yet many acknowledge they have not effectively aligned culture and strategy. They have not identified and communicated their culture throughout their organizations. They have not integrated culture into their talent development and organizational practices.”
From Harold Jarche: deliberate practice
“The key to developing expertise is deliberate practice. While some of this can happen during formal instruction, expertise has to be developed outside the classroom, as that is where most of us spend our time. Expertise takes time to develop, but how can organizations support novices as they go through their journeys to expertise?”
From Jennifer Pellet: Leadership Transition: How to Succeed at Succession
“Here’s a governance test question to pose to your board: When should you start a CEO succession plan? Correct answer: The day a new CEO takes office. The point, of course, is that it’s never too soon to start planning for a leadership transition. As dramatic as that may sound, it’s actually a fundamental truth, one borne out by anecdotal evidence on a regular basis.”
