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This study used qualitative data to describe how transformational learning was achieved in a women-only training (WOT) program. The article argues that an environment conducive to transformational learning for women was created from the harmonious coalescing of the presence of all-women participants and instructors with gender-sensitive teaching and learning practices. The integration of these elements created safety and participant willingness to break with habitual patterns. This article contributes to the transformational learning and WOT literatures by proposing a holistic explanation for creating safety and fostering women's transformational learning in training settings. It also develops an analytic framework that expands current conceptions of the transformational learning process. Keywordswomen's leadership development, transformational learning, women-only training, creating safe environments As the number of women in all job categories has increased, there has been corresponding interest in cultivating women's leadership talent. Although cultivation of talent requires both organizational and individual change (Hopkins, at Uniwersytet Warszawski on June 15, 2015 jme.sagepub.com Downloaded from

The Problem. Although leadership researchers have alluded to a connection between talent and leadership, the relationship has not been explored. The Solution. Leadership entails influence through inspiration. A key assumption of this article is that people inspire others when they themselves are inspired by what they do and, further, that such inspiration stems from authentic talent development. Authentic talent development is a process whereby individuals discover what they are good at and love to do, and use their talents to express their values. This article incorporates insights from the leadership authenticity and talent development literatures to present a framework of authentic leadership and talent development in sociocultural context. The framework illuminates how social identity ascription processes can thwart the course of an individual's talent development efforts. It also shows how individuals can overcome these pressures by cultivating positive psychological capital (PsyCap), thereby pursuing personally resonant talent trajectories. The Stakeholders. This article is relevant to Human Resource Development (HRD) researchers and scholar-practitioners, and those that design and deliver leadership development programs. It is also relevant to students of leadership in academic and corporate settings.

The quest to develop talent across all workforce segments coupled with the persistent underrepresentation of women in leadership positions in organizations across the globe has led to increasing demand for women's leadership development programs (WLDPs) over recent years. This special issue, titled Women's Leadership Development Programs: Lessons Learned

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