We all know that delivery of leadership training will be influenced by second life, gaming, and social networks. But what new competencies/skills/topics will be part of the Leadership landscape. In what ways will Leaders, 3-5 years out, need to be trained differently. We are doing some future planning in our department and would appreciate the input.

Bob-

The word I keep hearing is adaptability. Now, I don't think you can train people to be adaptable, but I think it speaks to the actual program design. Don't create a rigid program that will not allow for timely and necessary changes to be made in real time.
One of the keys to gaming and social networks is not that they actual train participants on new skills, but rather the ability to adapt the training to the most current needs.

I believe that a true leader doesn't need a bunch of instructional designers and trainers telling him/her what he/she needs to know, do and feel to be a good leader. Leaders are self-aware, self-directed, people-focused and capable of critical thinking skills. While you can help someone hone critical thinking skills, and provide venues for receiving constructive feedback, you cannot train the aspects of leadership that truly make someone a great leader.

JMNSHO

Bob –
To answer your question, I’m going to quote Michael Lombardo and Robert Eichenger, authors of “The Leadership Machine":

“In the world of management and leadership development, four fundamentals (constants) have changed little, if at all, over time. They are also not likely to change much going forward. The fundamentals are:
1.The competencies/skills that matter for leading in new and different situations
2.How these skills are learned and developed
3.Who is equipped to learn these skills (potential)
4.What it takes to make leadership development work"

Granted, the authors are referring to development, not training, but I believe that’s what we need to pay attention to. The largest influencers on a leader’s development will still be job changes, assignments, other people, hardships, and to a lesser degree, formal training programs. While I think we’ll see an increase in coaching, self-directed development, and collaborative networks, the basics of talent management and leadership development will remain the same.

While it’s interesting and fun to be on the cutting edge, and imagine the possibilities that new technology can bring to leadership development, I think we’d be better serving our companies by establishing a solid foundation and getting really good at the proven fundamentals. By introducing leadership development through Second Life or Wii too early (you said 3-5 years out), we could risk chasing the latest training flavor of the month and lose credibility with our sponsors and leaders.