The myth of “transferable skills” for senior executives – key lessons to be learned

This paper aims to challenge the notion that senior managers and executives have a set of “transferable skills” that can be successfully ported from one type of organization to another and even within the same organization.

The paper reflects on published information.

The paper calls for a different type of approach to developing senior managers and leaders that requires them to reflect on their own practice.

The paper draws the reader's attention to a potential underlying pattern in the failure of many senior appointments across different industry sectors.