Leadership for the future: Learning from trends in leadership development

Abstract

Purpose

The year 2020 will probably be looked on by the historians of the future as one of the more curious times in the modern era. The year itself, a bit like 1984, had been looked forward to a great deal as it had been the focus for many a discussion and set of predictions of what the future would be like. In the 1960s and 1970s, people read George Orwell’s dystopian novel with wonder and not a little nervous excitement knowing that they would probably live to see the year itself. It was probably almost a disappointment to see that there was no totalitarian state and brutal regime in the UK when the year finally came around, although there were plenty of those to witness elsewhere.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds his/her own impartial comments and places the articles in context.

Findings

The year 2020 will probably be looked on by the historians of the future as one of the more curious times in the modern era. The year itself, a bit like 1984, had been looked forward to a great deal as it had been the focus for many a discussion and set of predictions of what the future would be like. In the 1960s and 1970s, people read George Orwell’s dystopian novel with wonder and not a little nervous excitement knowing that they would probably live to see the year itself. It was probably almost a disappointment to see that there was no totalitarian state and brutal regime in the UK when the year finally came around, although there were plenty of those to witness elsewhere.

Practical implications

This paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations.

Originality/value

The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Citation

(2021), "Leadership for the future: Learning from trends in leadership development", Development and Learning in Organizations, Vol. 35 No. 3, pp. 20-22. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLO-05-2020-0112