Selected Readings - Leadership Development in Context
This is the third in a series of reports on Leadership from the Leadership South West Centre at the University of Exter. It looks at the impact of context on the appropriate content, style and format of leadership development. The two earlier reports (also available on the resource corner) answered the questions: what is leadership? and what is leadership development?
The current paper is a collection of short articles that look at:
- How different organisational and individual priorities shape the content and format of leadership development?
- What are the most significant factors and challenges facing organisations in different sectoral/occupational environments?
The key themes that arise from these different contributions are:
- The importance of taking a systems-wide perspective on leadership development whereby it is considered in relation to other organisational systems and practices;
- The importance of ethical and inclusive leadership that recognises the need for leaders at all levels within organisations;
- The value of experiential and participative leadership development where participants are encouraged to discuss and reflect on their own experiences of leadership;
- The importance of succession planning and establishing a leadership 'pipeline' that will develop the leaders of the future; and
- The need for core values that inspire and motivate individuals and groups to work together in the pursuit of shared objectives.