Developing generativity through developmental relationships

Abstract

Early leader and leadership development experiences that develop generativity - and therefore social responsibility - will become increasingly imperative in preparing a young workforce to shoulder the burden of a substantial leadership transfer in the wake of Baby Boomer retirements. While generativity is considered a midlife construct, recent and emergent research is documenting an association between developmental relationships – such as mentoring, coaching, and advising – and generativity in young adults. The current article highlights this recent research and addresses its implications for leadership practitioners, scholars, and educators. The article concludes with a discourse on future research directions that considers the nuances of particular methodological approaches that will be needed to understand how developmental relationships encourage generativity over time.