It can be said that the first leadership development programs in the world can be found in the rise of modern militaries. This is because an army needs to have a very good corps of officers to be effective. This is when the first official officer training courses came to being and are still being implemented. Leadership development seeks to inculcate skills and values that will help you lead successfully. How does it do this? First of all, leadership development focuses on planning. This is why you notice that most programs like these emphasize you to develop a personal plan for yourself. Plans are generally very helpful like the old saw says Measure twice and cut once , it means that you have a clearly defined path to follow. By the same token, a majority of organizations have, on their own, identified and defined the characteristics and qualities of successful leaders. The question now at hand is this: How then are competencies used in a most effective way in leadership development? Strategies and business models In the past, leadership development programs that were put into action had not been very successful in bringing profound changes. The Future Of Leadership Development As in all things, the future promises an array of new ways and new understanding in the practice of leadership and leadership development. These are critical role-changing contexts which will play an important part in leadership development. Several trends will assume major roles in the days to come, changing perspectives and changing premises of old assumptions and general thinking. Being aggressive is nice and fine for a sports meet but may not exactly jibe well with calm negotiations. Next, look at your skills: Are there any holes in your knowledge? Do you need to be familiar with something to be able to work at your maximum efficiency? Developing yourself is mostly about asking questions and coming up with answers to them. b) Skills acquisition Leadership development programs are more than hot-blooded pep-talks. Most of them impart skills that enable an organization to grow and develop. Some example of these skills are on how to plan properly, how to deal with problems in your company, and how to identify other potential leaders in your company infrastructure.