"Accelerated Leadership Development" captures and communicates the lessons learned from successful fast-track leadership programmes in the private and public sector, and provides a model which schools can follow and customize as they plan their own leadership development strategies. As large numbers of headteachers and other senior staff retire, the book illustrates practical ways in which school leadership teams can face the growing challenge of talent management. The book outlines the most effective fast-track leadership initiatives and discusses ways of identifying and retaining high-potential staff in school settings. It also examines the possible consequences and implications of talent identification and succession planning, while simultaneously considering the risks and challenges these schemes raise for schools and the wider education system. The book goes on to provide detailed descriptions of two fast-track education leadership programmes run in England and illustrates how a range of organizations from outside the education sector and from different countries, run accelerated, fast-track and high-potential leadership schemes. "Accelerated Leadership Development" will be a resource for academics and researchers working in the fields of leadership and school management. Contents of this book are: (1) Introduction: Why accelerated leadership development and why now?; The book is then divided into two parts: Part 1, Approaches to Accelerated Leadership Development, begins with these chapters: (2) Accelerated leadership development: Theory and concepts; (3) Accelerated leadership development: Approaches and methods; and (4) High potential programmers: Examples from the private and public sectors. Part 2, Accelerated Leadership Development in Schools contains the following chapters: (5) Accelerating the development of school staff; (6) Accelerated leadership development in schools: Fast-track teachers; (7) Accelerated leadership development in schools: Future Leaders; (8) A fast-track leadership development strategy for schools; (9) The challenge of fast tracking; and (10) Conclusion. This book also contains: (1) List of figures and tables; (2) List of abbreviations; (3) Preface; (4) Acknowledgments; (5) References; and (6) Index.