Leadership Forum

The Leadership Forum is a customized leadership program formatted into three, eight day modules.  The suggested format of the program is to do each module in a successive month.  For instance the first module of two days could be done in February, the next module of three days would be done in March and the third module of two days would be done in April.  Many of our associates are certified to train this program and we can certify your in-house trainers as well.

(Excerpted with permission from the Leadership Forum Session Leader Guide by Rick Tate and Art Smuck, © 1998, ThinkIT. All rights reserved.)

THE PURPOSE:

The purpose of the Leadership Forum is to enable leaders to capture the commitment and potential of members of the organization in an effort to, (1) create exceptional customer value and (2) build the type of company all members can be proud of. Providing leaders/managers with topical information on leadership issues will allow them to make wiser decisions about their actions in the future. Developing the capabilities of those who will lead the organization in future years will be the focal point of this forum.

THE APPROACH:

This forum will venture away from the typical technique and style training included in most management development programs. Experience shows that technique-oriented programs eventually die, although not necessarily because the techniques themselves are bad. The problem is that many users do not truly believe the emotional and intellectual assumptions behind the techniques.

Many managers attempt to employ techniques that do not represent their basic values or true feelings. This creates an illusion that the technique has some power independent of the leader. Thus, the creation of an insincere, artificial and phony leader; the antithesis of what is desired. Further, as one cannot pull off the charade for a long period of time, it is easy to then deny the power of the technique, discontinue using them, and then search for new ones. The leader is not responsible, the technique is!

Leaders who achieve permanent success do so when they realize the art of leadership resides within them, not with techniques. This program will provide a forum for discussion on values based leadership, personal introspection, and leadership obligations (to followers and to the company.)

If we are to increase our pool of exceptional leaders, building an attitudinal foundation must be the focus --- not techniques. Failure to do so can only perpetuate technique-smart, mediocre managers.

Our managers will be better educated in the discipline of leadership and have a profound opportunity to improve their value contribution to the company.

THE FOCUS:

The notion that leadership is about..., "influencing others to achieve organizational goals" is perhaps misleading. Leadership is about "who you are." At it’s essence it is not about others. Leadership is about your "internal landscape" and how that landscape influences your actions. It is about your own assumptions and why those assumptions are truth for you. It is about recognizing that assumptions are merely that.... assumptions! Not truths, and thus should be examined often.

This forum is an opportunity to gain insight into the challenges of our roles will present as the company changes. Rather than stumble and react, the forum is designed to allow participation in order to gain a deeper individual and group learning. The ability to anticipate and create will be a key to our success. Gaining insight and understanding to why we do what we do and the resulting implications and consequences will go a long way to shaping our future.

THE FRAMEWORK:

Throughout all sessions the following are embedded:

• Examination of topical leadership issues relevant to our organization

• Exploring our mental models, belief systems, and their influences on our leadership actions

• Implications and consequences of decisions

• Insight into the challenges facing leaders as the company changes

Design Elements

• Exploring the vision and values of our organization

• Series of sessions versus single session to create continuity of dialogue

• Responsibility of trainer for clear presentation of relevant leadership content material

• Responsibility for learning on participant. They will decide what they have learned and how they will use it

• Focuses on who I am as a leader versus situational techniques

• Debate and dialogue on different viewpoints of the main topics