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The Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training.

For weekly tips and resources pointers, check Wally's Three Star Leadership Letter

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Forbes just published an article titled "Road Map to the C-Suite" about climbing what they call "the management totem pole." Mixed metaphors aside, the Forbes article is based on a recent study by Personnel Decisions International (PDI).

That firm looked at the information it had about 4600 people who had gone through their assessment process. Then they identified the kind of experiences that seem helpful at each of three levels: first-level; mid-level; and director or executive.

I thought the article and the PDI news release were interesting. I also thought they reduced a wide range of situations and experiences to a couple of classifications.

The company you're in defines many of your development possibilities. Jack Welch got his PhD and went to work for GE. His experience at Dow or Monsanto or Proctor and Gamble might have been very different.

The PDI material doesn't really address the development of leadership skills. Most people start out learning the ropes of leadership in their first assignment, transitioning from managing themselves to managing a team. Later there will be the transition to managing a team of managers.

There isn't much said about the development of business judgment. If you've chosen leadership as the track to follow, one thing you have to develop is your ability to make and implement business decisions. You'll need to develop a more sophisticated understanding of strategy and learn to make decisions that extend over longer time horizons.

As we move farther into the century, I think we'll see more companies adopting a true apprentice model for leadership development. As development assignments become more important, we're going to see a major corporate challenge as finding or creating developmental assignments for the people available, instead of offering them a shot at whatever happens to be available at the moment.

Wally's Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training. Click here to check it out.

Request your free copy of "Meeting the Challenges of the Boomer Brain Drain: An integrated approach."

Wally Bock has helped people learn to be great bosses for more than a quarter century. His latest book, Performance Talk: The One-on-One Part of Leadership, makes learning key leadership principles almost effortless by teaching through a story and providing lists of resources for further growth.

Click here to find out more about Wally's coaching services.

For weekly tips and resources pointers, check our Wally Bock's Three Star Leadership Letter.

Click here to find out more about having Wally speak to your company or convention.