Chapter 1: The Dialogical Challenge of Leadership Development: An Introduction and Overview

In this chapter, we define dialogue as a relational practice through which mutual influence and generative meaning making become possible. From this definition, we begin by asking, “What might dialogue add to the process of developing leaders?” Our personal experiences and scientific convictions suggest that the principles of dialogue and the art of thinking together in dialogical ways are essential components of sustainable leadership development.

Positioning leadership development as a dialogical challenge also dictates that we explore at least three pertinent considerations: (a) leadership as a relational process, (b) creating the necessary conditions for enabling generative dialogue, and (c) assuming that dialogical interaction can add significant value for its participants, training leaders and followers in dialogical practices.