Developing 21st century public leaders: Competency-based executive development

The government of the United States faces many challenges in the 21 st century. One of the most pressing relates to its human capital. Concern about the looming wave of retirements and the managerial capacity of federal agencies has prompted numerous studies and reports calling for improved programs of executive development that are targeted to, among other things, the new environment of growing globalization and networked governance. These studies have questioned the adequacy of current leadership competency models for executive development.; After reviewing theories and history of leadership development, two phases of research were conducted in order to compare recommendations for updated competency models and the actual models used in the federal government. The first phase involved the use of the conventions of meta-analysis in which a systematic search of the literature identified all scholarly studies since 1990 that have recommended distinct competencies. Fifty-eight such studies on competencies were identified; twenty-four of which specifically addressed leadership competency models. The second phase entailed elite interviews with the directors of executive development within all federal departments, as well as the within department agencies and of independent agencies with more than 10,000 employees. These interviews identified the competency models now being used by each department or agency to guide executive development and education efforts.; This research provides an analysis of the patterns of divergence between the latest expert model(s) of competencies and the current practices of the U.S. government and offers recommendations for Chief Human Capital Officers on executive development.