New generation leadership: Looking after tomorrow

Abstract

This chapter looks forward, asking how to envision a social work we need for the twenty-first century. It challenges easy notions of succession, mentoring and leadership preparation by proposing a tension between innovation and simply being guided by what has gone before. What types of leaders do we need to navigate complex futures? Will their skill sets and competencies need to be different, and how do we prepare them for next generation leadership? How can today’s leaders exercise generosity of spirit in facilitating this transition, creating space and crafting enabling environments that foster such development? The authors argue for ethical leadership in the profession that guides new ways of thinking about and enabling a distinctive approach for new generation leadership in social work education, practice and research.