DEVELOPING LEADERS 1
Developing Leaders
School of Business, Liberty University
Developing Leaders
Organizations striving for success, sustainability, and longevity require leadership from
stakeholders who embody their vision and mission. Leadership can be defined as the process of
inducing a follower to behave in a desired manner (Hughes et al., 2022, p. 3). As organizations
identify potential leaders, they must consider the candidate's ability to move through a
leadership process that will yield the desired results. For a leader to effectively shift the
behaviors of followers, leadership development is needed to ensure leaders have the correct
DEVELOPING LEADERS 2
skills, emotional intelligence, and resources (Cheng & Zhu, 2021). Changing work environments,
diverse workforces, and uncertain economic times require leadership to be viewed as a process
ensuring an overarching strategic plan that supports peak organizational performance, while
understanding the drawbacks of not developing leaders.
Process of Leadership
Leadership has been defined in several ways, impacting stakeholder relationships,
strategies, and outcomes. The leadership process embodies key attributes that allow it to be
implemented as a never-ending cycle of behaviors and a plan of action. The behaviors that
embody a leadership process are effective communication, skill development, and knowledge
enhancement (Sims et al., 2024). Each of these behaviors can be implemented by leveraging
rational and emotional strategies. The process of leaders often includes influences and actions
rooted in logic and reason while embracing passion and inspiration (Hughes et al., 2022, p. 7).
The influences and actions often embody critical functions of management. To effectively
implement a process of leadership, managerial skills including administering tasks, maintaining
records, and timelines are necessary (Hughes et al., 2022, p. 9). The managerial traits help the
leadership process by ensuring stakeholders have the necessary resources to plan and execute
the strategic leadership vision properly. Each outlined component of the leadership process
helps organizations understand the need for leadership.
Need for Leadership
As an organization assesses the need for leadership, it must understand the differences
between management and leadership. While there are overlapping concepts, an organization
may not yield the necessary outcomes if a leader embraces managerial skills such as control,
imitation, or accepting the status quo (Hughes et al., 2022, p. 9). As previously mentioned,
effective leaders implement a few core management competencies to ensure a strategic plan is
created and implemented. Organizations require leadership to promote enhanced problem
DEVELOPING LEADERS 3
solving, sound decision making, critical thinking, and innovation (Shore et al., 2021). These skills
can be enhanced through targeted leadership development.
Leadership Development
Leadership development is a foundational component of an extensive strategic plan to
promote maximum organizational performance. One of the most critical aspects of leadership
development is the leader’s mindset. Mindsets are mental lenses that individuals use to
selectively encode and organize information (Gottfredson & Reina, 2021). Many believe
mindsets are challenging to adjust because they are viewed as theories. Mindsets can be
shaped through regular feedback, professional and personal experiences, and mentorship. A
leader’s mindset can be enhanced by leveraging an interactional leadership framework.
The interactional leadership framework allows leaders to analyze three categories that
may impact their mindset. By analyzing the followers’ values and norms, the leader’s personality
and expertise, and the situation, including the environments, stress, and tasks set forth, the
leaders can develop the necessary skillsets that lead to development (Hughes et al., 2022, p.
16).
With diverse workforces and changing organizational dynamics, leadership development is
necessary to ensure each leader is equipped to meet the changing business needs and the
variety of human personalities in the workplace. Leadership development, as described, assists
organizations in equipping leadership staff with the necessary and desired skills. Leadership
development also has various implications and consequences if organizations forego leadership
development.
Leadership Support
Leadership development promotes strategic thinking, planning, and execution of
objectives that help move any organization forward. Without leadership development, the
organization may experience several consequences that impede achieving set objectives and
goals, including indecision, ineffective problem-solving, and communication (Motloung & Lew,
DEVELOPING LEADERS 4
2023). As leaders strive to gain follower participation and engagement, indecision, ineffective
communication, and problem-solving can lead to team conflict, loss of revenue, employee
churn, and more.
In a previous role as a training manager of a call center, the general manager was unable
to make decisions about necessary training resources. This created frustration with the lack of
resources and support necessary to meet training needs. After several months, the decision was
made to purchase the needed resources. However, more than a quarter of the staff had quit.
Leadership development assists organizations with empowering leaders to make sound
decisions that will positively impact the organization. As organizational leaders consider the best
ways to leverage a leadership process, they must incorporate Christian leadership principles.
Biblical Principles
Leadership is a cyclical process that requires core competencies to ensure alignment
with God’s word, personal ethics, and organizational objectives. Philippians states, “Do nothing
from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves”
(English Standard Version, 2001/2016, 2:3). Effective strategic leaders embrace a servant
leadership style, embracing critical functions of serving others on the team, ensuring
development. King Hiram embraced the wisdom learned from others to develop successors,
ensuring the patrons of the kingdom would be sustained. Hiram also used his skills to glorify
God, ensuring the tabernacle's construction (Merida, 2015, p. 43). As leaders develop the
necessary skills to attain success, sharing those skills and talents is critical to ensure objectives
are met or exceeded.
As a Christian leader, embracing development ensures that the correct mindset and
actions align with God's teachings. This development ensures leaders interact with followers by
leveraging emotional intelligence, a spirit of discernment that can optimize decision-making and
problem-solving. Navigating these core principles in the everyday demonstration of leadership
DEVELOPING LEADERS 5
has resulted in higher-performing teams, less employee churn, and higher employee and
organizational satisfaction from team members and stakeholders.
Conclusion
As organizations continue to embrace diverse workforces and experience increases in
high-stakes challenges, the need for leadership, leadership development, and support structures
necessary to highlight the process's importance is critical. As an evolving leader, embracing the
functions outlined previously helps to personally prepare an action plan of implementation that
will serve the teams led while meeting organizational objectives. Blending the core leadership
principles, such as timely decision making, effective problem solving, and critical thinking, with
servant leadership rooted in a Christian leader provides a foundational leadership process to aid
personal and professional success.
DEVELOPING LEADERS 6
References
Cheng, Z., & Zhu, C. (2021). Academic members' perceptions of educational leadership and
perceived need for leadership capacity building in Chinese higher education institutions.
Chinese Education and Society, 54(5-6), 171-189.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10611932.2021.1990621
English Standard Version Bible. (2016). https://esv.literalword.com/ (Original work published
2001)
Gottfredson, R. K., & Reina, C. S. (2021). Illuminating the foundational role that mindsets
should play a role in leadership development. Business Horizons, 64(4), 439-451.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2021.02.009
Hughes, R. L., Ginnett, R. C., & Curphy, G. J. (2022). Leadership: Enhancing the lessons of
experience (10th ed.). McGraw Hill LLC.
Merida, T. (2015). Exhalting Jesus in Kings 1 & 2. Nashville, TN, United States: B & H
Publishing Group.
Motloung, M., & Lew, C. (2023). Drivers and consequences of strategic leader indecision: An
exploratory study in a complex case. Leadership & Organization Development Journal,
44(4), 453-473. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-10-2021-0457
Sims, R., & Weinberg, F. J. (2024). More than follow the leader: Expectations, behaviors,
stability, and change in a co-created leadership process. Group & Organization
Management, 49(2), 332-364. https://doi.org/10.1177/10596011221093456
Shore, R., Morris, D., Watson, J., & La Serna, J. J. (2021). Casting call! the aspiring principal
program: A partnership initiative filling the need for leadership. PDS Partners (Online),
16(2), 61-68.
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
