Future of Leadership Development

There is an acute sense that the current financial crisis is a crisis of leadership, both at the government level and the corporate level. The meltdown of financial markets and the fall of very powerful and old firms since 2008 highlight the need to rethink the essence of business leadership, some central issues in leadership and governance (such as globalization, the basic traits of human behavior, ethics and character, and a broader view of the firm), and the role of business schools in helping firms develop the leaders of the future. It is true that the work in the field of management over the past decades has been rich and diverse. At the same time, one wonders whether management scholars and universities could do more in making their models and programs more effective in promoting a better leadership in business and society. Based on the papers of a major international conference held at IESE in 2008 around this topic, this book brings together the perspectives of deans of top international business schools, leading scholars in different fields of management and leadership, and those of CEOs and senior HR leaders. The deans' perspectives highlight what the key contributions of business school have been and should be in the future, including some thoughtful reflections on the value of MBA programs. Management scholars reflect on the need to consider broader models that could include some of today's most complex issues in the business world (globalization, the role of the firm in society, leadership as a process around people). The business leaders' perspectives highlight some changing corporate needs in leadership development and key leadership capabilities that need to be promoted in the next few years.