Barbara Kellerman: There’s a better way to train leaders

Abstract

Purpose

Harvard authority on leadership, Barbara Kellerman, indicts the deficiencies of the leadership industry and she argues that we can do better.

Design/methodology/approach

This interview offers a bold prescription for training effective leaders[4].

Findings

To be effective, the leadership development process must adopt and achieve three goals: educate leaders, train leaders and develop leaders.

Practical implications

Bad leadership puts on vivid display the unbreakable link between leaders and followers – a link that the leadership industry willfully ignores precisely because there’s no money in it.

Social implications

There is precious little evidence that the leadership industry has in any meaningful, measurable way benefited society.

Originality/value

A “no holds barred” look at the leadership training industry and some potent suggestions on how to improve it.

Citation

Allio, R.J. (2018), "Barbara Kellerman: There’s a better way to train leaders", Strategy & Leadership, Vol. 46 No. 6, pp. 22-27. https://doi.org/10.1108/SL-09-2018-0083