MT GUIDE TO BUSINESS EDUCATION & TRAINING: At the Leading Edge

It's axiomatic that great companies need great leaders, but where do they come from? How are tomorrow's brightest prospects to be identified, and what principles should govern their training?

There was a time, not long ago, when we were all too squeamish to talk about leadership. Perhaps this was due to the social revolution of the 1960s and the rejection of authority figures. As a concept, leadership sounded a bit too heavy and old-fashioned for the modern, team-based workplace.

Today, we've lost these inhibitions. The sluggish economy and fiercely competitive business environment demanded it. The corporate scandals at Enron, WorldCom et al, and the failure of so many 'leaderless' dot.com businesses during the bursting of the new-economy bubble, have reminded even free-wheeling managers that leadership matters.