Leadership Acceleration

Accelerating the readiness of succession candidates for the senior-most levels is one of the most critical issues facing all organizations. The Leadership Forum is our process that helps organizations develop, align, and prepare the next generation of leaders for expanded roles at the next level. The Forum provides the senior executive team with a platform for transforming the organization, its people, and delivering breakthrough financial improvements.

Why The Forum Works

The Leadership Forum is effective for one simple, powerful reason - senior business leaders teach the program. Rather than transferring the responsibility for talent development to the Human Resource function or outsourcing it to external advisors, Forum executives see it as one of their top goals and responsibilities. They remain front and center throughout the program and embrace the opportunity to teach the next generation of leaders themselves.

Forum executives teach what they know about the business, what they believe as leaders, and what has made them successful - not the latest business school theory or consulting approach. Our simple framework allows the Forum to be designed and delivered in a way that reflects the unique needs of the organization, and that helps deliver the outcomes that the organization wants.

What makes the Leadership Forum powerful is not polished delivery and studied technique. It is authenticity. You know your business and you have demonstrated success - your people want to hear it from you. We help you crystallize what is really important to you - your business, the experiences you’ve had, the principles you hold - and build a program around them. Through the Forum Framework, we help senior executives organize their ideas; our process and teaching tools make those ideas engaging and actionable.

How The Forum Works

The Leadership Forum typically involves an eight to 12-month commitment by the senior executive(s) and selected high-potential leaders.

We use an initial session with the senior leader to determine the issues and capabilities that need to be addressed. We also provide assistance selecting the 12 to 24 individuals who will participate in the program. In our experience, the Forum works best when the participants are direct reports of the senior leadership team - i.e., when it’s a skip-level program.

Employing the Forum Framework, we recommend and overall program design, agendas, teaching modules, assessment tools, and compelling readings. We work with senior executives to develop teaching points that play to their strengths and we help them prepare for their part in the Forum.

The Forum Delivers Results

Development and Retention of Key Players - These individuals have the highest standards for relevant training. They don’t want another classroom seminar: they want an experience from someone who has been there, a chance to explore difficult topics, and an opportunity to build networks with peers and seasoned leaders.

Financial Performance - Strategic projects that may be undertaken by Forum participants typically pay for the cost of the program - and then some. We will help you choose projects that can be completed in the appropriate time frame and will generate real savings or revenues greater than the cost of running the program.

Talent Review and Assessment - The Forum executive gets a close, first-hand look at the organization’s best and brightest, which allows a clear evaluation of bench strength. The program’s “skip-level” selection puts you in close contact with the future of the company. Having the opportunity to study the bench yourself tells you about much more than the talent you are evaluating - it also tells you about the ability of your direct reports to judge talent.

Unfiltered Sounding Board - By establishing a high level of candor with the skip-level participants, the Forum executive can learn the unvarnished truth about what’s going on at the front lines of the organization. Forum participants also typically serve as a think tank for generating innovative ideas - and a reality check on their viability within and outside the company.