The TDG, Inc. Leadership Series SM has evolved over the years (27) into a unique, powerful, professional, personal, and organizational experience.
- We highlight the ever present requirement of practical or hard results, which is such a prevalent and deep need today, and which sometimes obscures the absolutely crucial but seemingly “soft stuff” of Leadership.
- The flexible schedule for these sessions has a power all its own.
- The amount of individual developmental mentoring we do here is significant.My materials from LLF 1.0 and LLF 2.0 [including quotes] are available through Ecto [a SAAS I use]
- For Business Leaders, Technical Managers, Human Resource Officers, or any facilitator doing this kind of Leadership developmental work, there is no other opportunity of even near equal value, to absorb this process, connect with my network, and me personally, and to learn, grow and change as you’d like!
OBJECTIVES FOR FORUM MEMBERS
- Broaden knowledge of all basic business functions.
- Broaden awareness of multiple industries/businesses/cultures.
- Expand professional/personal networking with other attendees, graduates and speakers.
- Achieve professional/personal growth (substantial increase in capacity with the 30 Characteristics of Success, i.e., learning to learn, being creative, teamwork, diversity, global view, etc.).
- Capitalize on opportunities and available help to refresh and expand basic managerial and leadership skills.
- Request and absorb continual personalized coaching/mentoring by the facilitators, speakers and attendees.
- Request and absorb continual personalized feedback to and from each member and the facilitators.
- Be committed to the process of coaching/teaching others, i.e. to “give back” in some way to the sponsoring organization, or in the appropriate community.
- Deepen skills in, comfort with, and capacity for the “soft issues” (politics, flexibility, organization, speed, personal style, leadership, middle management dilemmas, etc.).
- Capitalize on opportunities (from speakers, attendees, facilitators) to integrate all the above.
RESULTS FOR SPONSORING COMPANIES
- Get improved managerial/leadership energy now, and multiplied managerial/leadership energy in the future.
- Have a better chance to retain good managers/leaders because of this commitment.
- Obtain more appropriate integration and alignment of staff and line business processes via participant actions.
- Have an opportunity to generate a unique expansion of the Forum process internally, on site.
FOCUS and PROCESS
- Mostly the next 5 years (85%). Without this we won’t get to the 5-15 year time frame.
- Somewhat on 5-15 years out (15%).
- Topics/perspectives will be at these levels, modes and frequency:
| LEVEL | MODE | FREQUENCY |
| Concepts | Discovery | Occasionally |
| Issues | Insights/Experiences | Most |
| Operations | Facts/Proof | As needed |
An agenda will be outlined and circulated in “draft” form on Ecto. Input from Forum members and sponsors is always welcome. There is lots of interaction, exercises and leadership by participants.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ATTENDEES
- Age = Primarily c. 25-60, but age is appropriately varied.
- Size of group = 15 to 50 for optimum dialogue and diverse perspectives. The different size groups have unique and useful learning/growing opportunities.
- Their current management experience (i.e., managing managers) or leadership activities generally exceeds five years or more, often more than ten.
- All participants must exhibit a personal drive to grow professionally, managerially, as a leader, and personally.
- Each must have a commitment to coach mentor, teach afterwards (see Objectives above H and I above). This very often materializes in either sponsoring a forum internally or in leading a “forum like” workshop with their own staff.
We don’t require uniform dress. Not even uniform thinking!
PARTICIPANT REQUIREMENTS FOR FIRST MEETING
- Self portrait essay biography. (“Essay Bio” – for instructions see Poster #174).
- Statement of personal expectations for this forum.
COMMON PROGRAM ELEMENTS WITH EACH CALL
- One or two speakers/ supporting Contributors, chosen for ability to communicate, with relevant experiences and perspectives to share, and role model aspects. Session debriefed afterwards.
- “Things I see/hear”- one chosen viewpoint, by me.
- Questions can be submitted anytime.
- All participants can speak anytime, if they wish, by so indicating.
- Optional extended time on the call afterwards, in a “Cool Down” mode
