Hi, Mike - interesting post.

My initial reaction:  "Ouch!"  You hit awfully close to home, since I am one of those thousands of folks pouring information into the ether.

You mention the "art and science" of leadership and I believe that part of our problem lies with a lack of awareness of the need for both sides of that dichotomy.

The Science:
Leaders who do not learn about current thinking in terms of leadership and management development are shorting themselves.  Depending on a few remembered phrases or lessons from a course long since gone or, even worse, using the way you were led without filter as your model are guaranteed to produce more of what we already have and that does not cut it in today's world.

A wealth of valid research does exist and we owe it to ourselves to stay up to date.  If we can keep up with our favorite team's line-up and standing, we can do this as well.

The Art:
Leaders who do not understand the non-technical part of leadership will often find themselves applying a leadership model, strategy, or technique . . . and then wondering why they are not getting the results they desire. I am not advocating that leaders are born, because I deeply believe leadership can be taught, but this is not about buying the latest book, memorizing a cute acronym, and trotting out a process or structure for all to admire.

Being able to read, respond, and effectively influence others requires self-knowledge and an ability to sense the unspoken.  We can all improve our ability to do so, but we have to first know that this need exists and then be wiling to move on it.  Not as easy as just telling people what to do and reacting to how well they do it, but infinitely more rewarding, in my opinion.

Upon rereading all this, I have done a poor job of making my points, but I do look forward to what others have to offer to this discussion.

John