Signature Executive Program

Content Summary


Retreat Week Topics:
  • Presenting Effectively
    Recognize the need for, and demonstrate a method of presentation, that allows individuals to organize their thoughts and present them effectively and persuasively.
  • Handling Difficult Business Conversations
    Develop the ability and courage to successfully plan and manage difficult business conversations, including diagnosing the challenge and moving from blame toward problem solving.
  • Developing Your Business’s Narrative
    Learn to communicate complex business ideas and persuade others using business storytelling methodology, specifically, to incorporate a springboard story within a full presentation aimed at sparking action.
  • Knowing Stakeholder/Stockholder Value
    Develop an understanding of stakeholder/stockholder value and be able to present that value to constituent groups, including communicating the value internally to all employees.
  • Coaching and Being Coached
    Learn to use a people development process, incorporating developing a plan to make positive and measurable enhancements of individuals’ strengths to the benefit of their organization.
  • Living a Balanced Life
    Recognize and develop the ability to use methods that enable individuals to live their best lives, including life balance, optimism and resilience.
  • Developing People in Your Organization
Follow-Up Class Topics:
  • Employment Law
    Review the various employment laws which impact organizations and their day-to-day business, including updates and new laws, and identify actions required to ensure compliance.
  • Selection/Hiring
    Identify ways to attract, recruit and hire the best personnel available.
  • Creating a Motivating Environment & Effective Listening
     
  • Building Your Strengths
    Optimize individual and team effectiveness by identifying strengths and finding ways to maximize the use of those strengths.
  • Marketing/Branding
    Develop the ability to discover the organization’s niche and improve the brand by increasing employees’ understanding of and commitment to that brand.
  • Dealing with Change
    Learn to lead organizations through change by increasing everyone understanding of the change, including discussing the “un-discussable”.
  • Corporate Governance
    Develop an understanding of the purpose of, and need for, corporate governance, and how it differs from leadership.
  • Managing Up/Peers
    Learn to manage the relationship with the boss as well as the relationships with peers and direct reports.
  • Level 5 Leadership
    Learn the characteristics that distinguish leaders of great companies from those of companies with good, or acceptable, performance.
  • Delegation
    Learn to use delegation as a coaching and development strategy
Follow-Up Class CEO Panel Discussion Topics:
  1. Ethics in Business
    • Setting the tone from the top
    • Guiding principles -- black or white
    • Communicating the standards
    • Dealing with dilemmas
    • Need for constant reinforcement
    • CEO "Lessons Learned"
  2. Culture in Business
    • Building a solid culture
    • Your role in perpetuating and enhancing that culture
    • Creating "Ministers of Culture" throughout the organization
    • What triggers a cultural change in a company?
    • Work-life balance
    • CEO "Lessons Learned"
  3. Building Your Knowledge Base 
    • Building a learning agenda
    • Books, magazines, etc. -- Which selections? How much?
    • Industry events
    • Trade Associations
    • Formal schooling -- Undergrad? MBA? Ph.D.?
    • Networking -- how, when, how much, etc.
    • CEO "Lessons Learned"
  4. Building a Strong and Winning Team 
    • Hiring winners
    • Making good decisions on promotions
    • Coaching for success
    • Planning for succession
    • Growing future leaders vs. external hires
    • CEO "Lessons Learned"
  5. Managing the Stress Points 
    • Crisis management of outside events
    • Handling internally inflicted crisis
    • Dealing with changes in senior leadership and direction
    • How fast should we expect to grow?
    • Acquiring and merging with other companies
    • Being acquired
    • CEO "Lessons Learned"
  6. Leading Change
    • Participation in the planning
    • "Big Bang" or spread over time?
    • Cultural change vs. Operational change
    • Communication plan
    • Overcoming resistance
    • Celebrating the results
    • CEO "Lessons Learned"