What Makes a Good Leader? Leadership Development is in Everyone's Interest

A book titled Leadership Development in the 21st Century, written by researchers, educators, and developers from PécsiKözgáz, was published by Akadémiai Kiadó last December. Edited by Dr. Gabriella Kuráth and Dr. Edit Bányai, the book was released as part of the Scientific Patronage program and will be available to the wider public until December 2025. The aim is to foster discourse on leadership training and inspire future leaders to be well-prepared for their roles.

Currently, a significant number of leaders do not participate in leadership training programs, despite the growing need for highly skilled leaders and the increasing demand for leadership development. According to a 2019 study by leadership researcher Jack Zenger, leadership development in the 17,000 organizations examined begins too late. On average, leaders work for ten years before attending any leadership training programs, which can be detrimental to their organizations and hinder their own career growth.

Despite the relevance and high interest in the topic, Hungarian literature on the subject remains fragmented. The Leadership Development in the 21st Century handbook provides guidance on addressing leadership challenges. It offers tools and examples for identifying and developing essential leadership competencies and supports leaders in their self-development journey.

"We intended the book for future and newly appointed leaders, as well as for colleagues and professionals involved in leadership development. We aimed to balance practice and theory while presenting diverse perspectives, which is why we invited a wide range of authors," said Dr. Gabriella Kuráth. "Today's leaders face an exceptionally high number of challenges. For instance, organizational environments are changing at an unprecedented pace, leading to various emerging challenges that require quick and adaptive responses," 

emphasized Dr. Edit Bányai, highlighting just one of many critical topics.

As part of the Scientific Patronage program, the authors are developing content on ten key leadership topics, with blog posts and podcasts accompanying each. The content will primarily be available on https://ktk.pte.hu/hu/ajovovezetoi/english, along with engaging materials shared on the University of Pécs and PécsiKözgáz social media channels.

Following the introductory basics, the book explores key themes such as self-awareness, leadership competencies and their development, trust and ethics, coaching, training, mentoring, leadership careers, female leaders, generational challenges, stress management and burnout, and the impact of artificial intelligence on leadership and leadership training.