How Leaders Learn to Lead
Articles
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Leadership in the Crucible: The Paradox of Character and Power, by Ray Blunt
Suggests three leadership development activities that can help leaders stay grounded and avoid character failings, such as hubris.
- Learning to Ride a Bike--and to Lead, by Ray Blunt
Overview of how leaders learn.
- Growing Leaders for the Public Service, by Ray Blunt
Report for the IBM Endowment for the Business of Government
- One Person at a Time: The Leadership Genius of Mother Teresa, by Don Jacobson
On where we need to focus our leadership development efforts.
- The Alchemy of Great Leadership
Article from GovExec.com that provides perspective on what it takes to learn to lead.
- Education for Leadership, by
Eliot A. Cohen
Fascinating essay on where to look for leadership learning.
- The "3Cs" of Developing Leaders, by Ray Blunt
Growing the next generation of leaders is your most important job. Do you make time for it?
- The 3Cs of Leadership Development - Part II: Competency, by Ray Blunt
The most important things leaders need to be able to do.
- Growing Leaders of Character
Interview with author Gene Klann
- How New Managers Become Great Managers, by Linda Hill
From the Harvard Business School's Working Knowledge blog.
- Corps Values, by David H. Freedman
Inc. Magazine article about how the US Marine Corps develops leaders at all levels.
Books
A Legacy of 21st Century Leadership
A Legacy of 21st Century Leadership synthesizes some of the most compelling research on how leaders learn to lead and provides a roadmap for cultivating a climate of leadership in your agency or organization. Jim Trinka and Les Wallace argue that leaders need to make a deliberate decision to lead, learn constantly, model effective leadership for the next generation, and focus on developing others. They also advocate for developing leaders at all levels across the organization (rather than focusing on a “favored few”) and using varied and challenging assignments as a key leadership development tool. Trinka has served as Chief Learning Officer at the FBI and Director of Technical Training and Development for the FAA. Read More...
The Lessons of Experience: How Successful Executives Develop on the Job
This classic from the Center for Creative Leadership clearly outlines the various types of experiences that drive the vast majority of leadership learning. Provides perspective on how to approach development most effectively. (Hint: Classroom training is responsible for only a minor portion of leadership learning.) Read More...