Leadership Development

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that researches and studies on the effectiveness of leadership development programs are sparse. The writer points out that results of studies available on a variety of leadership development programs do not offer a clear view of the effectiveness of these programs. The writer maintains that organizations, however, are increasingly investing in their managers and other key employees to develop leadership skills. Further, the writer discusses that it appears that organizations are concerned about the lack of leadership qualities and skills and are investing heavily in training and education of their employees. The writer concludes that leadership development programs and their impact are usually taken for granted.

From the Paper:

"Literature review reveals that leadership development programs and their impact are usually taken for granted. It is widely assumed that if a program is implemented, it would produce certain benefits. The assessment of impact has also suffered due to lack of evaluative models or the presence of defective ones. Each year billions of dollars are spent on leadership development programs both in the government and private sector. Organizations are usually seeking results in the form of cost reduction and performance enhancement. The firms are usually concerned about the impact of the program on the "bottom-line" of the organization. But despite all this knowledge, there is a clear dearth of systematic evaluation of leadership programs in organizations especially in terms of its impact on performance. The effectiveness of these programs in terms of financial changes has also suffered from some problems. Most organizations do not hold individuals responsible for financial growth in exchange for training because they feel that one person cannot affect financial health of the company."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Baker, D. E., Walsh, M. B., & Marjerison, L. (2000). Developing high performance leadership at the process level. In E. F. Holton & S. S. Naquin (Eds.), Developing high-performance leadership competency (Vol. 6, pp. 47 - 72). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
• Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and performance beyond expectations. New York: McGraw-Hill.
• Bass, B. M. (1990). Bass & Stodgill's handbook of leadership: Theory, research, and managerial application. New York: Free Press.
• Brungardt, C. (1996). The making of leaders: A review of the research in leadership development and education. The Journal of Leadership Studies, 3 (3), 81-95.
• Burke, M. J., & Day, R. R. (1986). A cumulative study of the effectiveness of managerial training. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71, 242-245.

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