Developing the Leader in You - Transforming Your STEM Career Through Leadership and Innovation - page 93

Variety of
developmental
experiences

Assessment Challenge Support

Leader
development Leadership

context

Developmental
experiences

Ability to learn

b) The Development Process
FIGURE 5.1 Leader Development Model. Source: Van Velsor E, McCauley, C. D., Ruderman
M. N. Feb 02, 2010, The Center of Creative Leadership Handbook. Jossey-Bass, Hooken, ISBN:
9780470570258. Chapter 2

a) Developmental Experience

a developmental process and select developmental experiences can create the
knowledge, experiential learning, and resources that have been shown to pro-
mote the development of leadership qualities ( Figure 5.1 ). The developmental
experiences should provide an opportunity (or challenge) accompanied with
support, and finally an assessment of performance. Additionally, there should
be a variety of developmental experiences.
The use of this process on an iterative basis to address developmental
areas will result in knowledge, experiences, and evaluation, thereby produc-
ing in the individual the various characteristics required for effective leader-
ship. These developmental experiences can take many forms including formal,
informal, and experiential learning formats. However, before we discuss the
types of developmental methods/opportunities, it is worthwhile to study the
primary leadership development theories on which many of the developmental
approaches or leadership models are based and designed to teach an array of
leadership qualities.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT THEORIES
A number of leadership development theories exist as the foundation for leader-
ship styles. Additionally, within these leadership theories there are further clas-
sifications that are a function of the foundations of each theory (i.e., behavioral,
biological). The categories of leadership theories can be classified as one of
eight primary types: [2]

“Great Man” Theories
The “Great Man” leadership theory became popular during the 19 th century.
This theory assumes that the capacity for leadership is inherent - that great
leaders are born, not made. These theories often portray great leaders as heroic,
mythic, and destined to rise to leadership when needed. Some of the world's