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Think of the children: Leader development at the edge of tomorrow

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 March 2019

Jon Billsberry Open the ORCID record for Jon Billsberry [Opens in a new window] ,
Claudia Escobar Vega  and
John Molineux
Jon Billsberry*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Business and Law, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia
Claudia Escobar Vega
Affiliation:
Faculty of Business and Law, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia
John Molineux
Affiliation:
Faculty of Business and Law, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria 3125, Australia
*
*Corresponding author. Email: j.billsberry@deakin.edu.au
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Abstract

Leader development has traditionally focused on adults. However, evidence suggests that these efforts are limited to developing and refining skills, encouraging some reflection, and helping the learners plan for the future. The underlying problem is that these are people whose brains are fully developed and relatively set. Hence, adult leader development works with what is already there. In this controversial essay, we argue that leader development activities should instead be directed towards children. Their brains are forming and leader development work will create and shape the leaders of tomorrow. We draw the important caveat that relatively little is known about influencing leadership in young brains making this a fertile and exciting, if challenging, area for leader development research.

Keywords

leadershipleadership developmentmanagement educationleadership theoriesleadershiptraining and learning
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 25 , Special Issue 3: ‘Take your Lead’: In Search of Very Short, Fairly Interesting, and Reasonably Impactful Contributions to the Future of Leadership Studies , May 2019 , pp. 378 - 381
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2019 

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