An investigation into the leadership development strategy implemented by a manufacturing organization in South Africa

Abstract

The challenging nature of business today requires exceptional leadership skills. However these leadership skills are a scarce commodity and companies need to develop leadership to ensure a pipeline of leadership talent that can cope with the challenges facing business. This task however is quite daunting as there are many methods but few certainties about what works and what does not. Thus many organizations struggle to find the right strategy to bridge the leadership gap. This research report examines the best practices that exist in developing a leadership development strategy, recommends a model for leadership development and investigates the leadership development strategy of a manufacturing organization in South Africa. The findings indicate that the strategy implemented by the case organization is effective and thus can be used as an example to other organizations also trying to implement a leadership development strategy. Challenges include fostering a learning organization climate and implementing metrics to measure the success of the strategy.