Leadership Crisis?

Here are just a few of the many articles lamenting the lack of skills in our society:

The Empty Escalator
by
Donna J. Bear

In business workshops around the world, millions of people are pursuing skills to help them become one of tomorrow’s corporate leaders. Trouble is, they’re far fewer than companies will need. And when these potential leaders arrive at the top, will they have the right set of skills? Developing leaders to feed the succession pipeline should be an ongoing HR initiative.

http://www.cmctraining.org/trendwatchers_view.asp?article_id=67

Graduates lacking the skills for work

Britain is awash with vacancies for graduates, yet employers are struggling to find university leavers with the right skills - or the right attitude - for the job.

The number of jobs available to British graduates will grow by more than a sixth this year, but employers are increasingly worried that picky university leavers lack not only the right skills and qualifications, but even the right outlook to get on in the world of work.

http://www.management-issues.com/2007/1/30/research/graduates-lacking-the-skills-for-work.asp

High School, College Graduates Lack Basic and Applied Skills, Employers Say Written By: Krista Kafer Published In: School Reform News Publication Date: December 1, 2006 Publisher: The Heartland Institute

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High school and college graduates lack basic and applied skills, say business leaders, according to two surveys released in October.

On October 2, the Conference Board, a global business membership and research organization, released the results of its survey of 431 employers on recently hired high school and college graduates.

While basic knowledge and skills such as reading comprehension and mathematics were deemed important, employers said applied skills--such as work ethic, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking--are even more essential to workplace success.

According to the survey, new job entrants lack both.

http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=20280

Does this signal a crisis in Leadership? Why does this condition exist? Have we focused on the short-term for so long we have finally gotten ahead of ourselves and stabbed ourselves in the back? Companies used to have management grooming programs to make up for the oversight in our education programs. Not any more, they cost too much.

But I ask you, does it really? "If you think education is expensive..."
Please let me know your thoughts...