Building Leaders

"Whether a training program hopes to enhance a leader's skills, familiarize the leader with new roles and expectations, or effect change throughout an entire organization, the individual must be influenced first."

"One of the biggest problems that many development programs must overcome is a vague concept of what they are trying to accomplish."

"People watch who attends a program, what opportunities they are allowed, and what transpires when they return to the workplace."

"By sending program participants materials several weeks before a program commences, instructors and participants are able to hit the ground running."

"Feedback is a critical part of any learning process."

"Multiple learning methods are essential to a well-designed leadership program."

"Leadership, like any form of expertise, requires intensive, focused learning over extended periods of time to be developed."

"Skills-based programs may overlook opportunities to instill company philosophies or to tie leadership to new company strategies or implementation challenges."

"In the socialization process, leaders play a dual role."

"Leadership programs aimed at socialization must pay particular attention to their selection of program participants."

"In order for a firm to establish a base of attitudes and values consistent with its core philosophy and vision, it must first assess whether there is broad consensus around the vision to begin with."

"It is crucial for the success of any socialization program that the organization possess a vision and value set that are reasonably well articulated and lived out."

"Using practicing leaders as instructors facilitates the socialization of more junior leaders in a number of ways."

"In some cases, firms adopt well-established theories of leadership. In other cases, company leaders develop their own points of view about the essentials of leadership."

"Socialization programs hold the promise of embedding a company's vision and values, but they are difficult to implement successfully and require a long-term commitment from senior executives."

"Leaders throughout the organization?not just at the top?must be able to create strategy and lead change. "

"Strategic intervention programs must be preceded by an in-depth assessment of the organization's learning needs."

"Many strategic intervention programs ultimately cascade to lower levels of the organization, but most begin at senior levels where an organization's overall vision is set."

"Collective dialogue across functions and between levels is particularly important for developing a common understanding of a firm's larger vision."

"With discussions centered on issues that are complex and charged, facilitators serve to keep participants focused and their meetings on track."

"The best strategic intervention programs design initiatives that cascade across all levels of the organization."

"Programs designed to enhance leadership capabilities and facilitate strategic change tend to be extremely complicated and demanding."

"More and more leadership development takes place in action learning formats where company-based projects serve as the principle learning vehicle."

"Many companies institute action learning projects without fully understanding the necessity of having crucial design features in place."

"For action learning programs to be of value, they must be executed well with attention to both individual and organizational learning."