Any good leader or manager realises that learning new skills is always beneficial. Good leaders are truly passionate about what they do – and that includes learning as much as they can to ensure that they do the best possible job.

In addition to this, recent research has demonstrated the substantial advantages of developing contemporary leadership and management practices within organisations.

Management Practice & Productivity: Why they matter (Bloom et al, 2007) concluded that “firms across the globe that apply accepted management practices well, perform significantly better than those that do not. This suggests that improved management practice is one of the most effective ways for a firm to outperform its peers.”

In addition Competing on Knowledge (Advanced Institute of Management, 2007) asserted that “if you look over a hundred years of industrial history, typically it is management innovation that has allowed organisations to reach new performance thresholds – more than any other kind of innovation.”

Figuratively, this translates into what (Prosperity for all in the global economy – world class skills (Leitch, 2006) found, indicating that “differences in management practices between the USA and the UK, for example, explain 10% to 15% of the productivity gap in manufacturing between the two countries. This indicates that both skills provision and management are important elements in increasing productivity.”