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It must also be kept in mind that the leadership potential of individuals
varies considerably. People are not gifted equally with respect to their
ability to lead. However, everyone can grow and develop their leadership
potential to a varying extent, increasing their leadership ability.

One of the key advantages of developing leaders internally is that they
achieve productivity almost 50 percent faster than new hires. This is
297
particularly true for organizations in which knowledge of the internal
politics and structures are required to get the job done. 298 Additionally,
promoting leadership development to lower levels of the organization also

has a positive impact on morale and therefore assists in employee
retention. 299

The identification of leadership gaps is both an assessment of the
individuals and the readiness of the organization. In order to evaluate

potential leaders within the organization, a leadership program needs to
identify the expected leadership skills and competencies. Once those are
identified, competency models can be used to identify leadership potential
during performance review and career counseling sessions. To help fully
determine leadership gaps, organizations should:
1. Determine current and future leadership requirements.
2. Compare those requirements to the current leadership team.

3. Identify current leaders who may be at risk.
4. Identify succession plans for those at risk or planning to leave.
5. Look at the leadership development pipeline.
6. Identify gaps in skills and time required to fill those gaps. 300

Once the employees with leadership potential have been identified, a skills
roadmap should be developed for them. Because people learn and develop
new skills both inside and outside the classroom, a development program
needs to support both traditional and non-traditional learning. An
aggressive approach to learning needs to be an integral part of the culture
of the organization. When those involved with the organization know that

297 Mellon Financial Corporate Learning Curve Research Study.
298 Taleo Research White Paper, “Seven Steps for Effective Leadership Development.” p. 10.
299 Best in Class Talent Management Metrics, Aberdeen Group, 2008.
300
Taleo Research White Paper, “Seven Steps for Effective Leadership Development.” p. 12.
David Kolzow 276