This article reviews three historical phases of leadership development in England and Wales, together with parallel changes in in-service training and the broader professional infrastructure, in order to show how the idea of a national college developed and became viable. It argues that, as a policy innovation, the NCSL has built on earlier practice but also has several innovative features, including networked learning communities and its use of IT. It suggests that the transformational perspective should be interpreted in the framework of situational or pluralist theories of leadership. Finally, it considers some strategic issues affecting the college's longer-term sustainability.