Leadership Talent Identification and Development

This article reports on outcomes from a study funded by the National College for\udSchool Leadership (NCSL) designed to explore leadership talent identification,\uddevelopment, succession and retention in contextually different primary and\udsecondary schools in England. Focus groups and a questionnaire were used to secure\udperceptions of heads, middle leaders and classroom teachers about leadership talent\udidentification and development. Twenty characteristics indicative of leadership talent\udwere identified. Agreement and disjuncture were recorded concerning the importance\udof characteristics among respondent groups. The implications of these findings for\udleadership development and succession, in the face of a potential leadership crisis in\udthe UK and internationally, are discussed. The longer-term career planning of staff, the\udplace of needs analysis, self-disclosure and senior leadership decision-making are\udexamined with respect to leadership talent identification and development. The article\udoffers a basis upon which schools can reflect on their role in providing a good training\udground for future leaders. School-based changes are recommended so that individual\udschool’s longer-term leadership requirements may be better addressed