Critical leadership development scholars argue that leadership development programmes (LDPs) should be the setting where participant’s aspirations and struggle to be a good leader can be voiced and reflected upon. Integral to this prompt is the call for LDPs to offer alternative approaches to the conventional, individualistic, leader-centric modules through innovative programme design and delivery. In this article, we investigate the outcomes of one LDP where innovation, notions of good leadership and the power of the collective to create fundamental change for the betterment of society are sought by the facilitators. Through semi-structured interviews with alumni, we consider whether they, in the aftermath of the LDP, have taken steps to effect positive change across communities and society and secondly, whether they perceive that the LDP prepared them to meet this expectation. We argue existing societal power and leadership dynamics remain invisible and unchallenged. There was little acknowledgement of the wider role social structural forces play, both formal and informal, in reinforcing the status quo. Importantly, this research is a stark reminder of how, to varying degrees and levels of consciousness, advantaged groups prop up systemic processes that embed their privilege and further exacerbate social inequalities.

批判性的领导力发展学者认为，领导力发展计划（LDPs）应该成为参与者表达和反思成为一名优秀领导者的愿望和努力的背景。与此呼声不可或缺的是，要求LDP通过创新的程序设计和交付，为传统的，个人主义的，以领导者为中心的模块提供替代方法。在本文中，我们研究了一个自民党的成果，其中推动者寻求创新，良好领导力的观念以及集体创造根本变革以改善社会的力量。通过对校友的半结构化访谈，我们认为他们在自民党之后是否采取了措施，以实现社区和社会的积极变化，其次，他们是否认为自民党已经做好了满足这一期望的准备。我们认为，现有的社会权力和领导力动态仍然是看不见的和不受挑战的。人们几乎没有认识到社会结构力量在加强现状方面所起的正式和非正式作用。重要的是，这项研究清楚地提醒了有优势的群体如何在不同程度上和不同的意识水平上支撑嵌入他们的特权并进一步加剧社会不平等的系统过程。