With any plan, there will be pros and cons. However, there are many positives built into a leadership development plan. First of all, the plan usually includes work assignments that will develop an individual’s leadership skills. Almost all plans allow for a hands-on experience for people within an organization. Through this, people work in various departments that demonstrate how the organization operates at all levels. Jacowski states that “These programs are seen to provide a better understanding of the overall functioning of the organization and the operations involved within the organization” (“The Advantages”, 2008). In addition, plans allow you to track people’s progress. Most leadership development plans include personal reflections, feedback, goals, and action plans that enable a person to reach their full potential.
One downside of a leadership development program is that an individual could begin to leak confidential information and take advantage of having power. Since the individual feels more powerful, this can lead to the leaking of sensitive information in order to continue to feel accepted by lower-level co-workers. Also, the individual may start making demands on the co-workers of her. D’Amico believes that leaders can be indifferent or unkind, since the response would be to ignore and dismiss the needs and desires of employees (2005, p. 59). Imposing authority among other employees can lead to resistance among employees. Finally, learning leadership skills can cause an individual to overlook management skills as well. For example, activities such as planning, organizing, and coordinating activities may be ignored as leading others now becomes a priority. While influencing people is important, sometimes a person needs to be able to manage other skills to get the job done.
References:
D’Amico, V. (2005, June). Bad leadership: what it is, how it happens, why it matters. Management Consulting, 16(2), 59-61.
Jacowski, T. (June 5, 2008). The advantages of leadership development programs. On the basis of articles. Retrieved March 9, 2009, from http://www.articlesbase.com/self-improvement-articles/the-advantages-of-leadership-development-programs-439913.html
