Parsons's Blueprint for Leadership Development

• Establish at the executive and senior management levels an awareness of challenges and goals around leadership development and succession. Commit to action.
  
  
• Agree to the primacy of the concept of internal development of leadership at senior management and executive levels, with external recruiting a secondary strategy. Understand the internal development strategy imposes obligations for the focused preparation of leadership candidates.
  
  
• Consider three phases of leadership development:
  • for line staff moving into supervision,
  • for supervisors moving into senior management, and
  • for senior management moving into executive management.
  
  
• Create phase-appropriate content for the standard leadership development components. These components are
  • formal training,
  • designed experiences ("stretch opportunities"),
  • diagnostic appraisal of performance,
  • individualized development plans, and
  • comparative appraisal of performance.