LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS: AN INTEGRATED REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Though organizations worldwide utilize leadership development programs (LDPs), discussions about the topic have been sporadic. LDPs have only recently been analyzed by researchers and questions remain about why they should be offered; who should participate; what should take place; and when it should occur. While organizations across the globe preach about the importance of employing strong leaders, few can successfully measure and demonstrate the effectiveness of their own leadership development programs. As such, management teams find themselves in a tough position when it comes to spending training dollars in general and for LDPs in particular. In a troubled economy with margins tighter than ever before, Human Resource Development (HRD) professionals are being asked to demonstrate how investing in LDPs strengthen the organization. Not surprisingly, the answers remain vague and uninspiring. This paper reviews the literature on LDPs, discusses major issues inhibiting the effectiveness of LDPs, and explores responses to the questions raised here.