| Every expert says that leadership is the key core | | | | nameless stockholder. About ninety percent of all |
| competency of 21st Century business leaders. By that | | | | companies have less than 200 employees so |
| I mean every expert that is selling leadership training. | | | | everybody knows everybody and virtually everything |
| Since they are selling it, does that make them an | | | | that is going on. When these business owners say |
| expert or does it make their self-serving assertions | | | | they are "betting the farm" or this or that strategy - |
| about the important of leadership training untrue? Both? | | | | they literally mean it. |
| Or neither? | | | | We all know that the vast percentage of new |
| Leadership training certainly seems to be a key | | | | businesses fail, some sooner than others, but failure is |
| element for the legendary success of the mega | | | | about 90%. That means the surviving 10% must be |
| corporations where the leader is the person everyone | | | | considered successful. Unfortunately only 30% of |
| is willing to follow into uncharted territory and stick with | | | | those successful companies survive to the next |
| against all odds. That seems to be the organization's | | | | generation. There is probably a different reason given |
| inevitable secret of success - their willingness to take | | | | by every one of them. But those reasons may simply |
| on the metaphorical San Juan Hill that has been | | | | be excuses for not taking responsibility to integrate |
| pointed out to them by their leader. | | | | management leadership training into the step by step |
| Just as there are legendary success stories attributed | | | | day to day succession building process. |
| to the followers of influential leaders, there have also | | | | The family owned companies who survive through |
| been some tragic failures. Tragic to the employees | | | | and beyond the founder's generation need leaders |
| who followed and to the stockholders who lost their | | | | who are managers more than the mega companies |
| investment. | | | | because the very jobs, futures, and potential fortunes |
| When some of these charismatic leaders have so | | | | of everyone in the organization and in some cases the |
| publicly lead their followers (and the media) over a cliff | | | | community are dependent on them. |
| like so many lemmings, perhaps more should have | | | | For these companies management leadership training |
| been required than the ability to convince others that | | | | combines the how to do the job, something that is |
| they had the right to lead them and the direction they | | | | known at least historically because the organization is |
| were going was the right one. | | | | still in business - with why do it in the first place. |
| Perhaps management leadership training would have | | | | Managers who are also leaders understand that doing |
| helped these leaders take their followers and their | | | | a job right is important but perhaps not as important as |
| organizations in the direction it would have been more | | | | doing the right job. Management leadership training |
| profitable for them to go. But since it was the | | | | when learned well and executed excellently insures |
| shareholders money and since the leader had the | | | | that the right jobs are done right. |
| support of the media and in many cases the politicians | | | | By now I hope you are thinking about the implications |
| - their actual failure to lead is often swept under the | | | | of what you've just read and I also hope you will take |
| rug. | | | | a few seconds and post your comments for the rest |
| By contrast the owners of family businesses, the vast | | | | of us. By sharing your experiences and insights here |
| majority of those companies in existence today, spend, | | | | you will be adding to the richness of the conversation. |
| invest, and lose their own money - not that of a | | | | |