Developing the next generation of leaders

摘要

Across companies, and even the public sector, there is a looming challenge as baby boomers and many current leaders retire. This is the challenge of developing the next generation of leadership - not just at the CEO level, but in the various functions of the organization. A recent study I undertook on the journey to leadership of women CFOs was especially revealing in what was critical in the leadership journey, and what leaders today can do to help the next generation to develop. For the study, we interviewed fifteen leading CFOs, asking them to describe their journeys to leadership. In this column I highlight some key findings of this study (Kambil etal., 2009), and suggest new avenues for focused action and research in leadership development.