Rethinking Leadership Development for the 21st Century: C-Suite Perspectives on Change, Talent, and Representation

Abstract: This article examines organizational perspectives on bridging leadership development gaps in three key areas: change management, talent development, and diversity/inclusion. Executive surveys find that while disruptive change preparedness is a top priority, leadership programs often fail to adequately develop adaptability. To close this gap, companies emphasize developing agility, experimentation, and change-ready cultures. For talent development, identification must leverage broader strengths over past roles. Emerging leaders benefit from diverse mobility experiences through rotations and global assignments. Regarding diversity, representation is viewed as more than a social responsibility but a business imperative for accessing varied perspectives. Leaders recommend making inclusion central to mission/strategy and reevaluating sponsoring and sourcing approaches to give minority talent fair opportunities. Overall, holistically developing adaptive, diverse leaders through experiential learning better positions organizations to navigate complexity.