Editing Leadership development (section)

== Developing individual leaders ==

Traditionally, leadership development has focused on developing the leadership abilities and attitudes of individuals.{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}

Different personal trait and characteristics can help or hinder a person's leadership effectiveness<ref>''The Leadership Development Handbook'', [http://www.ccl.org Center for Creative Leadership] and Organizational Behavior, 4th ed, by Stephen Robbins, Bruce Millet & Terry Waters-Marsh, published by Prentice Hall</ref> and require formalized programs for developing leadership competencies.

Classroom-style training and associated reading for leadership development may ail from the possible divergence between knowing what to do and doing what one knows; [[management]] expert [[Henry Mintzberg]] is one person to highlight this dilemma. A 2015 study published in the [[Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America|Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences]] estimated that as little as 15% of learning from traditional classroom-style training results in sustained [[behavior change (individual)|behavioral change]] within workplaces.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.science.org/content/article/lectures-arent-just-boring-theyre-ineffective-too-study-finds|title=Lectures aren't just boring, they're Ineffective, too, study finds|last1=Bajak|first1=Aleszu|date=2014-05-13|website=Science {{!}} AAAS|language=en|access-date=2020-03-15}}</ref><ref>See {{cite journal | author = Cromwell S., Kolb J. | year = 2004 | title = An examination of work-environment support factors affecting transfer of supervisory skills training to the work place | journal = Human Resource Development Quarterly | volume = 15 | issue = 4| pages = 449–71 | doi=10.1002/hrdq.1115}}</ref>

Baldwin and Ford link success of leadership development efforts to three variables:<ref>See Baldwin, T. & Ford, K. (1988), "Transfer Of Training: A Review And Directions For Future Research', ''Personnel Psychology'', Spring, Vol. 41 Issue 1, p63-105</ref>

# Individual learner characteristics
# Quality and nature of the leadership development program
# Support for behavioral change from the leader's supervisor.

Military officer-training academies, such as the [[Royal Military Academy Sandhurst]], go to great lengths to accept only candidates who show the highest potential to lead well.<ref>Organizational Behavior, 4th ed, by Stephen Robbins, Bruce Millet & Terry Waters-Marsh, published by Prentice Hall</ref> Personal characteristics that are associated with successful leadership development include leader motivation to learn, a high achievement drive and personality traits such as openness to experience, an internal focus of control, and [[self-monitoring]]. In order to develop individual leaders, supervisors or superiors must conduct an individual assessment.<ref>{{cite book|title=ADRP 6-22, Army Leadership|date=August 2012|publisher=United States Army|pages=7–9|url=http://cape.army.mil/repository/doctrine/adrp6-22.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020210642/http://cape.army.mil/repository/doctrine/adrp6-22.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 20, 2016}}</ref>

Development is also more likely to occur when the design of the development program:

* Integrates a range of developmental experiences over a set period of time (e.g., 6–12 months). These experiences may include [[360 degree feedback]], experiential classroom style programs, [[business school]] style coursework, [[executive coaching]], reflective journaling, [[mentoring]] and more.
* Involves [[goal-setting]], following an assessment of key developmental needs and then an evaluation of the achievement of goals after a given time period.

Among key concepts in leadership development one may find:

* Experiential learning: Positioning the individual in the focus of the learning process, going through the four stages of experiential learning as formulated by [[David A. Kolb]]: 
*# Concrete experience. 
*# Observation and reflection. 
*# Forming abstract concepts. 
*# Testing in new situations.
* Self efficacy: The right training and coaching should bring about 'self efficacy' in the trainee, as Albert Bandura formulated: a person's belief about his capabilities to produce effects.
* Visioning: Developing the ability to formulate a clear image of the aspired future of an organization unit.
* Attitude: Attitude plays a major role in being a leader.