Carry On
Carry On
Carry On
opular theory has it that leaders are born, not made. While few would doubt that there is some substance to that claim, logic tells us that the ready packaged leader is the exception rather than the rule. For the majority of us, therefore, it is the way we develop our leaders that can enable them to stand out from the crowd.
Many are waking up to the fact that leadership is inextricably linked with organizational effectiveness. Develop the right leaders and the dream of long-term sustainability becomes ever more attainable. The opposite is, of course, also true. Like most other things, leadership is subject to change. Trends come and go and todays leadership style can quickly become tomorrows relic. Only those models with one eye on the future are able to stand the test of time.
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VOL. 20 NO. 4 2006, pp. 28-30, Q Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 1477-7282
DOI 10.1108/14777280610676990
For the majority of us, therefore, its the way we develop our leaders that can enable them to stand out from the crowd.
learn through mentors, role play, doing, and teamwork to name but a few options. The clear focus on action learning is highly important given that many observers believe the phenomenon is integral to leadership development. It has been a case of so far, so good for this program. From the several intakes to date, feedback has generally indicated that students remain positive about the effect of the program on both themselves and their organizations. And as many participants have valued the total experience of the program, the whole here is clearly greater than the sum of its parts. Integration between each program element and all partners involved is obviously crucial. The various outcomes of the program include:
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academic certication; development or improvement of transactional management skills and transformational leadership capabilities; gaining practical insights to later apply in the workplace; a greater appreciation of NHS needs; extensive personal development; and more self-awareness.
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That is pretty much in line with the objectives the NHS set out to achieve. But that is not all. Participants also commented on their increased capacity to inuence others, partly as a consequence of being more aware of their preferred leadership style. Others admitted to becoming proactive enough to utilize leadership and vision across the organization. In this context, however, the most signicant comments undoubtedly related to making patient care the main priority and initiating the kind of changes able to affect this area most.
organizational culture built on command and control with leadership perceived as individualistic rather than as a shared responsibility;
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leadership programs lacking the scope to meet organizational needs; senior management support, crucial, yet demands of time means that such support cannot always be guaranteed; insufcient time away from the workplace; participants with other responsibilities being overburdened with work; a target driven culture meaning limited opportunity to put learning into practice; insufcient time for reection; and poor facilitation; a failure to ensure that project outcomes are acted on.
B B B B B B
Comment
The review is based on: Leadership development: does it make a difference? by Ruth Boaden (2006). The article discusses leadership development and the shift from transactional to transformational leadership models that has seen less focus on dened outcomes and more on developing leadership ability itself. The author analyzes a leadership program developed for the UKs National Health Service and concludes that the program has been so far successful in meeting the needs of both the individual participants and the organization. Many of the outcomes and benets are pointed out, as are potential barriers that can hinder the success of both this program and others. This article provides an interesting read and contains many useful strategic implications for the customer-focused practitioner.
Reference
Boaden, R.J. (2006), Leadership development: does it make a difference?, Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 27 No. 1, pp. 5-27, ISSN 0143-7739.
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