The article “Trends and Perspectives in Management and Leadership Development” reviews existing trends in leadership and management in the United Kingdom, with the view to demonstrating that much of the current growth and development in these domains is motivated by financial, political, and market-oriented demands, rather than sustained philosophical and instructive approaches on the character and intention of management, leadership and education within modern society. The justification for undertaking this study, it seems, is predicated upon the fact that there is inadequate attention focussed on individual and organizational demands and requirements, particularly in the context of management and leadership development. Consequently, not much has been achieved in establishing contextually embedded and collective approaches of ‘management’ and ‘leadership’ even though organizations are spending huge amounts of money to enhance management and leadership capability (Bolden 2007).
From the article, it is evident that there remains a significant doubt as to whether the current provisions in management and leadership can meet the needs and requirements of the modern organization because the global challenges experienced now demand strategies to management and leadership education that are intensely diverse from those that have served well in the past (Bolden 2007).
To fill this gap and get the most out of management and leadership development, the author urges managers and other relevant stakeholders to (1) critically assess current notions of the nature of leadership and learning within the organization, (2) think carefully about the development needs of both employees and the organization, (3) explore a range of development options from several providers not only to maximize the advantages of experiential and reflective learning, but also to understand how such learning can be transferred and sustained within the organization, (4) ensure that learning and development are identified as fundamental and valued activities within the organization and that each employee is facilitated and supported in their learning, and (5) review other organizational systems and processes, particularly the human resource strategy, and how these interface with and provide support to leadership and management development (Bolden 2007). Other recommendations from this particular study include identifying and limiting personal barriers to learning and the exercise of leadership within organizations, considering the role and impact of organizational culture and context, taking an appreciative rather than deficit approach to development, and taking a long-term perspective to leadership and organizational development.
Critique
The article is insightful for management students and managers wishing to make a difference in the leadership and management domain by adopting processes and approaches that can meet the needs and requirements of the contemporary organization. The recommendations made by this author are consistent with Johnson et al (2012) assertion that best-practice organizations are those that view leadership and management development programs as a way to enhance competitive advantage and support corporate strategy, and that leadership as taught in business schools should mirror the types of activities characteristically utilized in organizational leadership development programs, including adopting experiential strategies with the capacity to fulfill the needs and requirements of a modern organization.
Overall, it is believed that the article could have been much more insightful had the author developed a theory or conceptual framework to elaborate the main points, particularly in discussing the approaches to leadership and management development. Alternatively, the author could have borrowed from the many existing theories and models of leadership and management development to demonstrate that his arguments and assertions are firmly embedded in contemporary theoretical thought.
Reference List
Bolden, R 2007, ‘Trends and perspectives in management and leadership development’, Business Leadership Review, vol. 9 no. 2, p. 1-13.
Johnson, SK, Garrison, LL, Hernez-Broome, G, Fleenor, JW & Steed, JL 2012, ‘Go for the goal(s): Relationship between goal setting and transfer of training following leadership development’, Academy of Management Learning & Education, vol. 11 no. 4, pp. 555-569.