Leadership in the 21st century
| Pages | 2-2 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14754390980000986 |
| Published date | 21 October 2007 |
| Date | 21 October 2007 |
| Author | Sara Nolan |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour |
Volume 6 Issue 5 July/August 2007
2
FROM THE EDITOR
,
CONTACT
Sara Nolan
E-mail: sara.nolan@melcrum.com
,
Leadership in the
21st century
feedback and coaching they need, and consideration is
needed to think about the best people to provide that
feedback, to determine the policies that will attract and
retain the most talented (e.g. flexible working) and to
spot them in the first place.
Peter Walmsley demonstrates the power of taking a
radical approach to implementing change in Playing
the workforce generation game (page 32), while Kay
Baldwin-Evans encourages leaders to be courageous
when it comes to learning and development. In her
article, Taking a bold approach to organizational
learning (page 28), she uses Reuters as an example of a
company that is an early and courageous adopter of
technological resources to meet its educational needs
(including podcasts, wikis and virtual classrooms).
HR’s role in skills building
So, what are the implications for HR? A strong
conclusion to come out of this issue is that leadership
skills can be developed, and are not just the result of a
natural flair (of the “born leader” type). Psychologist Ros
Taylor, in What makes your leaders tick? (page 20), talks
about the lack of training in leadership skills despite the
“learnability” factor, while ILM puts forward its view that
leadership skills can for the most part be developed. This
is a clear opportunity for HR, in terms of helping leaders
to develop the skills they need to lead in turbulent times
and to reduce the risks – both personal and commercial.
Leadership in the 21st century can be a minefield.
Power to the people, and to the shareholders, is the
order of the day, and the autocratic route is rarely an
acceptable option – even in entrepreneurial-based
organizations where it was once deemed alright for
strong-willed leaders to firmly stamp their vision and
authority on others.
Today, being a leader is about bringing people with
you, getting buy-in to organizational goals and lowering
the personal and commercial risks associated with
leadership. Litigation is an obvious risk and a potential
factor behind the more gentle leadership approach that
now prevails. In this issue of Strategic HR Review our
authors put forward their views on the leadership
challenges of the 21st century and how to address them.
Not for the faint-hearted
In Leadership during turbulent times (page 16),
David Pardey from the Institute of Leadership &
Management (ILM) argues that organizational change
demands particularly effective leadership skills. We live
in a world with an unpredictable business
environment, and innovation and change are required
for commercial prosperity. With change comes fear,
however, and strong leaders are needed to gain the trust
of employees and encourage them to embrace that
change. As Pardey conveys through two case studies,
the actions taken will vary across organizations, but it
is the conviction and commitment of leaders that can
make or break a change program.
Marcus Powell and Guy Lubitsh of Ashridge
Consulting also call for courage, as well as consideration.
In their article, Courage in the face of extraordinary
talent (page 24), they discuss how the balance of power
is now in the hands of the most talented employees.
Therefore, courage is required to give them the honest
Sara Nolan
© Melcrum publishing 2007.For more information visit our website www.melcrum.com or e-mail info@melcrum.com
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