Leading Effectively e-Newsletter - October 2002 Issue

Leading at the Top

Today's top leaders - whether in business, government, education or the nonprofit sector - are in an unusual position. On the one hand, they are extremely visible and often scrutinized. On the other, many are given enormous leeway and status because of their position. Ultimately, an organization's success or failure is due to the leadership of its senior people.

With economic and organizational stakes so high, it is imperative to look beyond the surface issues of leading at the top and examine the complexities of becoming - and remaining - an effective senior leader. This issue of the e-Newsletter begins the discussion.

The Center offers several tools for developing top leaders including the Leadership at the Peak program and custom solutions. For more information, contact contact Client Services at 336.545.2810 or e-mail info@ccl.org.

Choosing the Top Dog: How to Improve the Executive Selection Process
Scan the business headlines of the past year and it is impossible to ignore the disastrous results of inept or unethical top management - Tyco, Global Crossing and Enron are the obvious examples. In the last decade, we've seen CEO and top-management failure at high-profile companies such as Apple Computer, Blue Cross-Blue Shield, AT&T, Sunbeam Corporation and Citicorp. Yet, in most organizations, little attention is paid to the process of selecting the right senior leaders.

What CEOs Think: A Leadership Survey from CCL and Chief Executive Magazine
The Center for Creative Leadership and Chief Executive magazine went straight to the source to find out what CEOs think about leadership and leadership development. What did we learn? Chief executives say leadership development is critical for competitive advantage. They also report that they are primarily responsible for making it happen. Even so, according to the survey, leadership development is not "built in" to the systems and practices of most companies.

Leadership at the Top: Knowing What it Takes
By the time a leader reaches the upper levels of management, he or she has a 'proven' track record of success. But research has shown that however success was achieved and measured in the past, top executives need a slightly different mix of competencies and behaviors to lead effectively.

Leadership at the Peak: Teaching Top Execs to Learn New Tricks
The image of the all-knowing, all-powerful top leader has, in most organizations and in the business press, lost its power. No CEO or president can call all the shots or have all the information in today's complex, dispersed and fast-paced environment. Yet, the role of senior leaders has not diminished; indeed, today's CEOs have more on their shoulders than ever before.

Leadership Poll Results

Leading Across Cultural Differences Survey
The focus of our August 2002 e-Newsletter was strategic leadership. What is strategic leadership? How do leaders lead strategically? Who is a strategic leader? Included in the August issue was an online survey that was completed by more than 200 readers.

Foundations of Leadership: Developing Tomorrow's Leaders
Among the Center's many development offerings is Foundations of Leadership, a program that emphasizes the basics of effective leadership, focusing on personal awareness and growth, working relationships, influence skills and conflict resolution. Although designed with the newer manager in mind, this program will also prove beneficial to the more seasoned manager who is seeking a fundamental leadership training experience.