Great Leadership Conference

I am in the Palm Springs, CA area all this week at the GILD, Global Institute of Leadership Development conference put on by Linkage. They have a unique educational model that combines great speakers with daily learning team meetings and one-on-one coaching. I am at the conference as one of their executive coaches and learning team leaders.

It's fun, but pretty draining, and while I am bursting at the seams with great stuff to share - I don't have the energy to share it! So blogging for the rest of the week will be light.

If you are looking for an amazing leadership educational experience, you might want to look into going to GILD 2007.

So far, we have heard the following speakers:

Benjamin Zander - Leadership and possibility
Marcus Buckingham - Managing and playing to strengths
Bruce Cryer - Relationship building, emotional intelligence
Peter Tertsakian - Author of 1000 Barrels a Second
Gary Hamel - Conceptual Thinking
Doris Kearns Goodwin - Leadership Lessons from Abraham Lincoln

Speakers coming up this week:

Jack and Suzy Welch - Producing Results
Paul Schoemaker - Decision Making
Dave Ulrich - Creating the Organization
Patrick Lencioni - Motivating the Team
Clayton Christensen - Building a Culture of Innovation
Nick Washienko - Communication
Benazir Bhutto - Trusted Influence
Marshal Goldsmith - Coaching and Mentoring
Geoffrey Canada - Focused Drive
David Allen - Personal Productivity
Nando Parrado - Lessons in Leadership

The learning teams stay together all week and get together for two hours a day to discuss the speakers and how they can use what they learn back on the job. Each learning team is about 15 people, so small enough to have great conversations.

Each participant also receives three one-on-one coaching sessions to further help them focus and get the most from the week.

So far, my favorite talk has been Benjamin Zander - I have already read (and recommend) his book, The Art of Possibility that he wrote with his wife (she did most of the writing). Benjamin is full of so much energy and inspiration - he had us all sining Ode to Joy...... in German!

Well, actually, maybe I Gary Hamel's talk on where innovation is needed in management is my favorite so far - very provocative.

More later.....

Comments

[Craig]

You are so lucky to have seen Benjamin Zander. I say his video about a month ago, and it was so inspiring. I have bought his book (I haven't read it yet - it's in my ever-expanding pile of must read books).

[Lisa Haneberg]

Yes, Zander was amazing. The conference just ended and when I ask people their favorite parts, the talk from Zander comes up a lot. Other favorites include, Gary Hamel, Geoffrey Canada, and Nando Parrado.