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Leadership is a crucial element in organizations that experience enduring success, as pointed out in numerous business books and articles. While there is little debate about its value, there is a wide range of ideas on what defines good leadership and how it can be systematically developed within an organization.
One reason that leadership continues to fascinate people is that it involves the complex interplay of so many variables: personality, life experiences and the ability to connect emotionally with others are as important as having a grasp of specific management concepts or industry knowledge. Training can play a role in improving some aspects of leadership ability, but other elements are either innate or difficult to teach. One thing that is clear is that there is no one, single activity that is sufficient to develop leadership in an organization; successful programs are built upon a complex set of activities that focus on various aspects of leadership.
Recent research also shows that the definition of leadership development is evolving from a set of activities focused on developing leadership qualities in selected individuals, to the processes and environments that encourage leadership behaviors throughout an organization. Th is change of perspective is being driven by a number of business challenges, such as increasing competition, globalization, the need for continuous innovation, as well as the evolving nature of work teams.1 It also stems from recognition that leadership development focused on a chosen few creates a culture of haves and have-nots, which is not conducive to morale or retention.
Another factor in the evolution of leadership development is the overall trend toward talent management systems, which generally include a strong component of technology-based learning. As more and more companies adopt formal talent management systems, there is a tendency to make training in general, and leadership training specifically, more widely available to more parts of the organization at all levels. Recent research also shows that companies with high ratings for leadership tend to have robust talent management systems.2 Providing leadership training more widely has the potential to be costly, but is also likely to result in higher employee satisfaction and loyalty, as surveys of managers show that leadership development opportunities are highly valued.
What is the role of technology-based learning within leadership development?
As mentioned above, leadership development involves a complex blend of activities, some of which are not training per se. Classroom teaching is oft en the centerpiece of leadership training, but in recent years there has been a growing recognition of the value that can be derived from technology-based learning as an element of leadership development. Today the majority of companies use blended programs to deliver leadership training. This paper will examine how e-learning, electronic performance support systems and other online information resources can be used to broaden the reach of leadership development, increase return on investment and extend the positive effects of training over time. Leaders are seen as drivers for performance throughout an organization. The higher the leader and the broader the scope of his/her responsibility, the greater the leverage that the individual can exert. So while it is difficult to measure exactly how much leadership development programs may contribute to something like financial return, it is generally accepted that good leaders produce higher performing teams that produce better results.
Demographic shift s are also forcing many companies to re-evaluate their leadership development efforts. With 76 million baby boomers planning to retire in the next 10 years, there will be significant impact on the leadership pipeline, and it can be expected that the cost of recruiting and retaining talented managers is going to increase.7 Making matters worse, while the number of qualified candidates is decreasing, the number of management jobs is projected to increase by 17 percent. It is little surprise, therefore, that many organizations are willing to increase the resources applied to developing leaders from within.
Leadership development takes very different forms at diff erent levels in the organization. At lower levels it tends to be focused on developing basic managerial skills, and the delivery method is likely to be a blend of e-learning and classroom.
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