This introduction puts forward a way of thinking about the inter-relationships between the people development and the business development aspects of an organization

The content table highlights the themes discussed in each chapter's case study. The four case studies are written as dialogues between a consultant (Ian) and senior managers of different organizations that are wrestling with organizational and leadership development problems. De Visch invites his readers to choose the story that resonates most strongly with them. By reading the exchange of ideas between manager and consultant, readers gain  insights as to how to deal with their own business and talent evelopment challenges.

Chapter 3 emphasizes the value of linking business strategy with talent management through the story of a manager (Bart Jenkins) whose organization put him into a role above his head through failure to assess correctly both the challenge of his new role and his level of capability. Here De Visch expands the concept of the “Size of
Person” and its cognitive and social-emotional components in more detail, and describes the DESTINY system of assessment.

This book builds on the work of Elliot Jaques and is for me one of the missing pieces in how to (re)build trust. It recognises that people and organisations are complex. Understanding how people at different levels deal with this complexity is one of the keys to create effective organisations. This book presents a set of concepts and a model that predict what will and what will not be effective in organisations regarding leadership, systems, staffing and structures. Rather than a set of prefabricated solutions it is a tool that helps understand how you can increase the performance and well-being in an organisation.

I found the book an extremely valuable add for excecutives and everyone who is responsible for organising work. It gave me new insights on how to structure an organisation, how to match and challenge the capabilities of employees, how to provide the appropriate recognition and above all how to develop a value system to make contributions in broader society. The approach takes you beyond the current dominant 'competency' approach and the numerous examples helped me understand how to design, implement and sustain positive changes in an organisation.

Jan DE Visch

Otto Laske presents an integral�view on Leadership Development that goes far beyond the competencies approach.� How can you use the adult-development perspective in designing and implementing leadership development programs in organizations ?