5 December 2006
Just consider that over 15 billion dollars a year is spent in the US alone on leadership development. Now estimate how much is spent globally. One of the world's most renowned leadership scholars, consultants and educators, Professor Bruce Avolio, believes most is a sheer waste of money.
The University of Nebraska's Gallup Leadership Institute, under Professor Bruce Avolio's guidance, has conceptualised Authentic Leadership Development. They believe that the leadership of organisations that 'get behavioural economics' versus 'brutal economics' will win and sustain positive performance growth.
Professor Avolio says that most leadership interventions are not genuine, have never been validated, and do not capitalise on impacting behavioural economic metrics. He believes to do so will require an entirely different approach - Authentic Leadership Development.
He also points out that over many decades organisations have worked on getting the traditional economic metrics right, then moved to getting structures right, followed by advanced thinking around improving quality processes, then lean processing and more recently lean thinking. "They also, sometimes dragging their feet, focused on the 'soft stuff' ... people. Yet, what will differentiate the best governments who create the most high quality jobs and the best companies who win in their markets is what some call optimising behavioural economics."
Professor Avolio will be delivering a keynote address at the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) 2006 Conference in Yeppoon, Queensland on 7 December.
He is also delivering a seminar in Melbourne on 11 December hosted by Monash University and the APS College of Organizational Psychology. At this session he will address the following topics:
- How can we accelerate the development of authentic leaders?
- How can we use the capacities of leaders to facilitate change?
- How can we show decision makers "return on development" investment?
Journalists are invited to attend this seminar to interview Professor Avolio in-person.
What: Special leadership research session
When: Monday 11 December, 2 pm.
Where: Building H, Room 2.35, Caulfield campus, Monash University
For further information contact Ms Jacqui Golding on +61 3 9903 2265.
Professor Avolio will also be available for interviews during the ANZAM conference on 7 December between 11am and 12pm (Melbourne time). Journalists wishing to arrange an interview during the conference should contact Mr Marc Barnbaum, Central Queensland University Public Relations Manager on 0409 196 039.
Background information on Professor Bruce Avolio:
Clifton Chair in Leadership, College of Business Administration, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Director, Gallup Leadership Institute, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Professor Avolio has an international reputation as a researcher and practitioner in leadership. He has consulted with public and private organisations from every continent. Professor Avolio has published nine books and over a hundred articles on leadership and related areas. His newest books are Leadership Development in Balance: Made/Born (2005) and The High Impact Leader: Moments Matter in Authentic Leadership Development (2006).
Professor Avolio was the national chair for the Organizational Behavior Division of the Academy of Management. He is also a fellow of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and former President of the Society for Human Resource Management Foundation. | 
