Leadership in today's organizations is a tough business. Organizational leaders face a number of challenges as their jobs, and the world around them, become increasingly complex. Trends, such as organizational "delayering," rapid technological advances, and increased employee empowerment require that leaders adapt their techniques and styles of leadership to meet these new challenges. Consequently, there has been an explosion of interest in leadership in recent years as researchers and management educators struggle to understand the process of leadership development, how it operates, and what characteristics make effective leaders.

Born of these questions, the 11th Annual Kravis-de Roulet Leadership Conference at Claremont McKenna College brought together an impressive slate of scholars whose theories, research, and cutting-edge techniques are now gathered together in this impressive volume. Each chapter asks and answers questions about the current state of the field while providing future direction for research to help bridge the gap between leadership researchers and leadership development practitioners. Notable topics include chapters on "e-leadership" and leadership within the "virtual" organization, exploring 360-degree feedback, the importance of "social capital," and a comprehensive analysis of the well-researched theory of Leader Member Exchange.