ABSTRACT
Career paths these days are complex and provide a wider range of choices than previously. Success and failure are measured in new ways and the expectations of employees and organizations are more diverse. In this environment individuals are making career choices that do not necessarily assume that continually striving to achieve the highest possible managerial level is the only option and in some sectors there is a shortage of candidates for senior management posts. In the public library sector, for example, the number of applicants for Service Head posts is declining and research indicates that there is a lack of leaders and no clear way in which a new generation of leaders might be developed (Usherwood et al., 2001). This has obvious implications for organizations, professions and customers and also for individuals who are at the point of making choices about whether to apply for posts at senior management level.
