A progressional model for developing organizational leadership : supporting an innovative environment

The capacity to cope with radical uncertainty is critical to a business’s existence (Hodgson 1998). However innovation management continues to be a strategic challenge for business (Bessant 2003), and many companies lack the prerequisite managerial competencies required for innovation (Schein 1996). Strategy is seen to be an upper echelons or macro level leadership responsibility, whilst repetitive day to day operational tasks remain the domain of meso and micro level management (Christensen 1997; Davies 2000)). This ‘wait to you get there’ approach to leadership development increases the likelihood of a strategic thinking gap (Christensen 1997), and a reduction of learning opportunities (Gavin). Leadership has a significant role to play in enhancing individual and organisational capacities. Supporting high-level involvement by all operational stakeholders through continuous learning initiatives increases leadership capabilities and supports innovation. This paper presents a progressional model for developing organisational leadership. Contemporary leadership literature calling for an integrative (Horner 1997; Sinclair 2001; Gill 2002) or holistic(Zohar 1997; Scott and Harker 2002; Mussig 2003) approach to be used in developing and studying leadership is analysed and discussed. The progressional model of leadership postulates that; through the acquisition and bundling of specific technical and interpersonal competencies (Golemen 1998; Palmer 1998; Dulewicz 2000), leadership capabilities are increased along with organisational capacities for designing and implementing strategic initiatives that support an innovative environment.