Practical Wisdom for Leaders with Scott J. Allen, Ph.D.

Beyond Quick Fixes: Reimagining How We Develop Leaders with Dr. Barbara Kellerman

Jul 9, 2025

Dr. Barbara Kellerman, a Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Center for Public Leadership and renowned leadership author, shares her insights on evolving leadership development. She critiques the quick-fix mentality prevalent in the leadership industry, emphasizing the need for lifelong learning and a more holistic approach. Kellerman discusses the decline of public trust in leaders and advocates for integrating follower dynamics into leadership education. The conversation also touches on the intersection of creativity and leadership, enriching the discourse with cinematic references.

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INSIGHT

Leadership Industry Growth vs Trust Decline

The leadership industry has expanded greatly over 40-50 years but trust in leaders has declined.
This paradox shows that the industry's growth hasn't improved leader effectiveness or public confidence.

ADVICE

Professionalize Leadership Development

Develop leadership like medicine: require education, training, and lifelong development.
Avoid quick fixes; leadership needs time, effort, and continuing education to be effective.

INSIGHT

Unprepared Leaders Hurt Culture

Leadership positions often go to experts without leadership training.
Elevating experts without preparation risks organizational culture and effectiveness.

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Dr. Barbara Kellerman is a Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership. She was the Founding Executive Director of the Center, and a member of the Kennedy School faculty for over twenty years. Kellerman has held professorships at Fordham, Tufts, Fairleigh Dickinson, George Washington, Christopher Newport, and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. She also served as Director of the Center for the Advanced Study of Leadership at the University of Maryland.

Kellerman received her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, and her M.A. M.Phil., and Ph.D. (in Political Science) degrees from Yale University. She was awarded a Danforth Fellowship and three Fulbright fellowships. At Uppsala (1996-97), she held the Fulbright Chair in American Studies. Kellerman was cofounder of the International Leadership Association (ILA) and is author and editor of many books. Kellerman has also appeared on media outlets such as CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, NPR, MSNBC, Reuters, and BBC, and has contributed articles and reviews to the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, and the Harvard Business Review.

From 2015 to 2023 she was listed by Global Gurus as among the “World’s Top 30 Management Professionals.”

A Few Quotes From This Episode

“Leadership is learning lifelong...just like medicine or law.”
“You don’t develop leaders overnight.”
“Because the (leadership) industry is so profitable, nobody really wants to break up the existing model.”

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Book: Professionalizing Leadership by Barbara Kellerman
Film: Anora

About The International Leadership Association (ILA)

The ILA was created in 1999 to bring together professionals interested in studying, practicing, and teaching leadership. Plan for Prague - October 15-18, 2025!

About Scott J. Allen

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The views of my guests do not constitute "truth." Nor do they reflect my personal views in some instances. However, they are views to consider, and I hope they help you clarify your perspective. Nothing can replace your reflection, research, and exploration of the topic.

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