Trends and perspectives in management and leadership

In this article I review recent trends in management and leadership development in the UK, arguing that much of the current growth is driven by financial, political and market pressures, to the relative neglect of philosophical and pedagogical perspectives on the nature and purpose of management, leadership and education within contemporary society. Whilst there is a general shift from formalised programmes towards flexible, experiential and customised provision, it seems that insufficient attention remains directed towards individual and organisational needs and requirements. Thus, for example, the majority of provision remains focused on the development of ‘leaders’ rather than the contextually embedded and collective processes of ‘leadership’. Management and leadership are presented as distinct rather than integrated and complementary activities/processes and limited consideration is given to the impact of contextual factors on individual and organisational performance. The article concludes with a series of questions/issues for individuals and organisations to consider when investing in leadership and/or management development