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 narrowing the learning/performing gap, are managers born or does leadership development matter, key competencies for leadership development, and cracking the leadership development code.
From Barry Stern and Russ White: 5 Opportunities to Narrow the Learning Performing Gap
“Despite the continued technological advances made relevant to the leadership development space, we continue to run in place as if going nowhere fast. Technological augmentation of learning presents us with many new possibilities, yet we have much work to do. For example, the DNA of hundreds of LMS systems is largely administrative; those of us skilled in learning science must push and partner with our technology partners as we attempt to mirror more of the significant advancements that have been made in areas such as social media and digital marketing. These advancements have changed the discipline of marketing in ways that we could never have imagined.”
From Wharton: Are Good Managers Born or Made?
“For many an ambitious worker, the measure of success lies just ahead in a path toward management. Career arcs in a wide variety of sectors are simply built that way, and sooner or later the serious-minded employee finds him or herself champing at the bit to be a leader. ‘For those who are front-line employees thinking about a long-term future, the question of whether to go into management, whether it is good for you and for others, and figuring out whether you have the temperament to master it, is a career issue that many people are trying to answer,’ says Michael Useem, Wharton management professor and director of Wharton’s Center for Leadership and Change Management.”
From Sunnie Giles: The Most Important Leadership Competencies, According to Leaders Around the World
“What makes an effective leader? This question is a focus of my research as an organizational scientist, executive coach, and leadership development consultant. Looking for answers, I recently completed the first round of a study of 195 leaders in 15 countries over 30 global organizations. Participants were asked to choose the 15 most important leadership competencies from a list of 74. I’ve grouped the top ones into five major themes that suggest a set of priorities for leaders and leadership development programs. While some may not surprise you, they’re all difficult to master, in part because improving them requires acting against our nature.”
From Evan Sinar and Richard Wellins : Cracking the Code to Leader Growth
“Leaders grow fastest when given accurate, detailed, and actionable information about the gap between their current skills and future potential. Companies seeking to create and channel development energy by providing this information often turn to assessment centers to gauge a leader’s readiness for new job challenges. These assessment centers—which include ‘day in the life’ simulations of what it’s like to be a higher-level leader—are highly realistic, reliable, and predictive of future leadership success because they provide real opportunities to demonstrate leadership skills.”
