By Dr. Gerhard van Rensburg (South Africa)
Abstract
For all who are interested in the development of the organisation’s leadership and leadership development are of fundamental importance. Fresh thinking about what effective leadership in modern times mean and how such leaders can be developed is much needed as the organisational world evolve further in the 21st century. Perceptions and expectations of leadership change over time and so should the approach to and process of leadership development. The article is a proposal to shift from a traditional thinking model about leadership and leadership development to what is more sustainable for the development of a leadership culture and for organisational health.
Leadership excellence is fundamental to the health and performance of an organisation. Leadership development, however, in most cases is a costly affair.It therefore warrants careful consideration of what organisations hope to achieve when they invest in leadership development. If the point of departure is to help people excel as highly competent individuals, then the criteria for a development programme would be different from one where the goal is to grow people in order to achieve more with and through others – in other words true leadership and teamwork.
Source: iCN Issue 14 vol.2 (Marketing for Coaches); pages 16-21
About Dr. Gerhard van Rensburg
Gerhard is an experienced leadership and executive coach and consultant in the field of organisational development. He has vast experience in individual and team coaching. He is a member of Comensa (The representative body for coaching and mentoring in South Africa) and an academic supervisor and associate at The Da Vinci Institute of Technology Management. He is also a certified PDA Analyst and MyPDA Coach.
Gerhard passionately believes in the potential of the people in South Africa and the African continent to grow and develop their unique qualities and cultures in such a way that they will live proudly, prosperously and be respected by the rest of the world — as envisaged in the idea of an African Renaissance.