High Flyers

"The real issue is not that companies don't develop talent but rather that they aren't aware of how these unmanaged processes are working."

"Executive leadership in these times requires so many skills and so many complex skills that "natural ability" is nowhere near enough."

"The first step in executive development, then, is to move away from survival of the fittest to development of the fittest."

"The world is too complex for a simple report card of strengths or weaknesses to explain what we observe about human behavior, talent, and the development of abilities."

"Often the most deleterious actions are the best intended, resulting in an unconscious conspiracy between an organization and an individual who together, in pursuit of effectiveness, produce a derailment."

"Most of the development described by successful executives occurred through on-the-job experiences."

"If future executives are having similar experiences, they likely are developing similar skills, while maintaining or even developing similar deficits."

"The single most important part of designing an executive development system well may be deriving it directly from the business strategy."

"Even if talent's origins are biological, bringing it to fruition requires years of hard work and conscious development."

"By proving themselves trustworthy and by treating others with respect, effective managers first create a setting in which other people are inclined to help them."

"Development of executive leadership ability is a career-long, if not lifelong, proposition, so any system must encompass the whole term."

"Those who already can do a job will not learn as much from doing it as someone who would be stretched."

"An organization needs to do what it can to create a context conducive to learning."

"There are at least seven compelling reasons to take seriously, to invest in, and to put priority on strategic executive development."