Leadership in organizational practice: closing the knowing-doing gap

Abstract

Purpose – This article aims to question the narrow focus of the existing approaches to leadership development, and guide organizations to a more systemic perspective. Design/methodology/approach – The findings are based on the review of academic literature on the subjects of leadership and management, as well as surveys of 2,069 UK employees (including 806 individuals with managerial responsibilities), 467 HR professionals from the CIPD membership database, 128 senior HR professionals, and 250 senior decision-makers. Findings – Although most organizations today provide leadership development activities to their employees, the focus of those activities, and the lack of enabling organizational systems and processes, may inhibit leader behaviors in practice, potentially explaining the lack of leadership and management skills in UK organizations. Practical implications – In developing a leadership development strategy that is aligned with business priorities, organizations should consider which segments of the workforce can add value by demonstrating leader behaviors, which aspects of organizational context might act as enablers or barriers to individuals demonstrating those behaviors, and which incentives are in place to stimulate leader behaviors. Originality/value – The argument steps away from discussing the construct of “leadership”, assuming that its definitions will vary among organizations, and emphasizes the context in which leaders operate and HR practices as having impact on the effectiveness of leaders.