A quest for better leadership development

Would you let a surgeon operate on you if they weren’t trained for the job? No? So why do companies - and even countries - continue to put leaders in office without a guarantee that they know what they’re doing? Dr Hannes Leroy from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus Management (RSM) researches how to develop leaders to be more effective.

Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) is one of Europe’s top-ranked business schools

Dr Leroy shares his striking observations in a TEDx talk. He says people aren’t born with leadership skills, nor is leadership some form of magic or art. The good news is that a lot of leaders are eager to learn, and a lot of people are dedicated to helping leaders develop. The bad news is that leadership development is often described as the Wild West: shoot first, ask questions later. “In medical science, we make sure we only use those things that actually work. But in leadership development, people do things that haven’t been demonstrated to work and that may even be harmful to other people.”

Luckily, 100 years of research gives us a good idea of the dos and don’ts of leadership, and people can get better at it. But these insights are not often used in practice. Dr Leroy: “We can make sure that leaders, from high school presidents all the way to country presidents, get the training they need and deserve.”

Watch Dr Hannes Leroy’s TEDx video about his quest for society to come up with professional standards for leadership in the same way that there are such standards for surgeons, lawyers, civil engineers, and psychotherapists, along with upholding leadership values and an oath.

The Executive MBA (EMBA) at RSM

The RSM EMBA fully integrates a dedicated Personal Leadership Development (PLD) programme that is expertly designed to unlock your fullest potential as a critical thinker, decision-maker and change leader. The programme is designed for working professionals aiming to further develop their cross-functional capabilities and improve their business skills. You have the opportunity to explore topics such as strategy, marketing, finance and information technology.

Classes are twice a month on Friday evenings and Saturdays, enabling you to put your newly acquired skills into practice immediately. The 18-month programme commences each January and includes career and leadership coaching, study trips and an In-company project.

Open evening

Find out more about RSM's Executive MBA open evening on November 11 from 19:00-21:30hr at the Rotterdam campus here.