A lot of people have asked me what I mean when I use the phrase Strategic Leadership Development. So what is it? It's not just about building leadership talent. It's more than that. Strategic leadership development is about connecting processes, systems, competencies and behaviors together in a way that helps organizations achieve its strategic objectives. At the root of this is a solid understanding of the business, how it serves customers, how it makes money and where it is headed. This means understanding the strategic direction the firm is taking and knowing what capabilities will be needed for success. It also means having a realistic assessment of the talent that currently exists. In today's world, many companies use succession planning as a way to assess their leadership talent and determine who is "ready now" for promotion or to assume additional responsibilities. Managers and human resources professionals come together to discuss performance and potential of current staff. Developmental moves are planned and actions are taken to prepare high potentials for the next level. These methods have been and will continue to be effective as long as a company wants to continue business as usual. Traditional succession planning approaches to leadership development may not be as effective in an environment that is facing intense competitive pressure and the need to change. Having a detailed understanding of the current business operations and processes is necessary but no longer sufficient. Tomorrow's leaders must also be able to recognize when to stay the course and when to change. Relying solely on one's instinct and opinions from others has become an outdated style of leadership because more and more companies are leveraging advances in technology to access and use information from multiple sources, internally and externally, to make decisions. Many people, much smarter than me, have written books on leadership and the things that need to be done to become a great leader. Having the ability to clearly articulate a vision and motivate others to achieve desired objectives will always be found in those leaders who are considered great. But in today's world, successful leaders will also need to be able to adapt to change and motivate others to do the same. This means they will have to be able to demonstrate the ability to learn - whether its new technology, new processes or changing customers' expectations - faster than ever before AND they will need foster an environment that encourages others to do the same. I have spent most of my career in leadership positions that involve driving strategic change. I've watched projects fail, not for the lack of smart people, but instead for the lack of people who embrace change and are willing to seize opportunitie when they present themselves. I have decided to focus my business on helping organizations and individuals become ready to succeed in 21st century leadership roles. I have designed an analytical framework for assessing and developing leadership talent that includes strategic competencies such as learning agility, critical reasoning and fostering innovation. It also includes techniques for accelerating the development of high potential individuals into position of leadership. If you have any interest in learning more or would just like to share your insights and comments, I'd love to hear from you.