Every other month for the last four years, we’ve surveyed a select number of our readers on the critical issues and challenges they face as learning executives. This Business Intelligence Board, as we’ve come to call it, gives us insight into the real challenges that learning executives face and has helped us guide how we develop the magazine.
We’re just about set to release the full results of last year’s surveys in the 2008 Chief Learning Officer Business Intelligence Industry Report. There are some recurring themes this year that echo the sentiments of prior years. Namely, leadership development continues to be a critical priority for many of the organizations we survey. Many learning executives will spend a significant amount of their time and resources to build the leadership abilities of their organization’s executives and future executives.
A recent article on Slate.com, underlines the key role that leadership plays in creating, and maintaining, competitive advantage. According to Slate commentator Daniel Gross (www.slate.com/id/2186547/), the state of American management is at a crisis point, leading many foreign companies to mock what was once a strength of the American business system – its managers.
He points to the rise of foreign-born CEOs at American companies as evidence of this trend. He also points out that the management weaknesses evidenced by the subprime mess have eroded confidence in American management ability, and the lack of language skills among American executives hinder their ability to operate in a global business environment.
Food for thought as learning execs look to build their organization’s leadership capabilities.
