Government Organizations Pursuing Global Leadership Programs

July 21, 2011 - PRLog -- ARLINGTON, VA – July 21, 2011 – Government organizations are pursuing global leadership development programs, with significant focus on managing change as a priority competency, according to a recent study conducted by the American Management Association (AMA) in collaboration with the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) and Training magazine.

Lagging slightly behind their corporate counterparts, 22.3% of government respondents report their organization has a global leadership program in place, compared to 31.6% of the corporate respondents.  “Globalization is a significant influence on leadership development today,” said Sandi Edwards, Senior Vice President for AMA Enterprise. “We live in a global economy, and our government leaders more frequently are required to interact with other governments and communities around the world. This means that up-and-coming leaders require a broader skill set than in the past.”

When asked to select the competency that represents the most central focus of their global leadership development program, 38.5% chose managing change. The second most central focus was critical thinking/problem solving, at 15.4%.  Many respondents (47.8%) felt their leadership development program is largely successful, with some areas that could be improved. Still, the leadership development programs garner less than 5% of the budget in 35% of the respondents’ organizations.

Other findings among the government respondents:

•   Managing change, critical thinking/problem solving, and the ability to influence and build coalitions are the most widely taught competencies.
•   Certain competencies, such as managerial agility, creativity, and general business acumen, have proved more difficult for executives to master.

About AMA Enterprise

With more than 85 years of experience and headquartered in New York, American Management Association (www.amanet.org) is a global leader of comprehensive talent development.  AMA Enterprise, a specialized division of AMA dedicated to building corporate and government solutions, transforms enterprise-wide talent to fuel a culture of innovation, high performance and optimal business results. For more information on AMA Enterprise Government Solutions please visit www.amaenterprise.org/gov.