The leadership assessment centre: A learning launch pad for management development

Abstract

In an increasing global competitive environment, an organisation’s advantage can come through a variety of different avenues. One of these is through its people, especially managers. While no management position is exactly the same (Whetten & Cameron, 2020), a focus on developing managers’ skills can be a way of organisational differentiation and success (Mathur, 2015). In recognition of the importance of managerial skill development, Jonathan Cook has developed a framework and process called the Leadership Assessment Centre (LAC), initially while at the Graduate School of Business Administration of the University of the Witwatersrand, and subsequently at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), the business education arm Importance of managerial skills of the University of Pretoria. The LAC process is designed for participants to practise their management skills in a number of deeply participative simulated management activities, assess their own performance in these activities (on an individual, peer, and facilitated basis) and, on the basis of the feedback, draw up a learning contract that contains the plan for how they will develop the competencies identified. Therefore, this white paper highlights the: Cook (n.d.) received his undergraduate degree in psychology before finishing his master’s in counselling psychology and religious studies. After serving as a community worker and then a psychologist at the National Institute for Personnel Research, since 1990, Cook’s career has been steeped in managerial learning. Initially, he served at the University of the Witwatersrand’s Graduate School of Business Administration as a member of faculty and then director of the Management Development Unit before becoming Academic head. In 2004, Cook moved to GIBS as a senior lecturer and then director, reporting to the Dean on all academic aspects of running the School. Concurrently, he founded Thornhill Associates (www. Jonathan Cook thornhill.co.za), a customised online 360-degree feedback offering that provides information for different levels of management. Since co-founding the African Management Institute (AMI) in 2013, Cook’s focus has been on developing and measuring tailored tools and training to help African business thrive. Based on the principle of practical business and management tools that could be downloaded easily and immediately applied at work, over the years, AMI (2025) has had 45 000 learners across 39 countries on the continent. Thinking behind the LAC; Competency within GIBS that has been developed; and Benefits to both participants and organisations that participate.