The Leadership Investment: How the World's Best Organizations Gain Strategic Advantage Through Leadership Development

Annotation. Economies rise & fall. Technologies come & go. But companies that develop outstanding leadership within their ranks can weather any business storm. "Leadership," say authors Fulmer & Goldsmith, "is the future's only source of sustainable competitive advantage." Their new book presents a sweeping overview of the best practices in leadership development today. Rich with the distilled experiences of the world's most advanced programs, THE LEADERSHIP INVESTMENT focuses on six exemplary organizations & their varied approaches to leadership development: Arthur Andersen - its unparalleled use of quantifiable data in assessing the impact of its extensive educational efforts, General Electric - known for its Crotonville "campus," often called "a staging ground for corporate revolutions, Hewlett-Packard - how it made the transition to the computer industry through geographic, ethnic & gender diversity, Johnson & Johnson - its use of "Executive Conferences" to wipe out complacency & short-term thinking, Royal Dutch Shell - how it developed "scenarios" as a tool for future-focused learning, The World Bank - its one-week "poverty modules," when participants live in environments like those they exist to serve. With additional examples from business schools, corporate universities & consultancies, THE LEADERSHIP INVESTMENT reveals many intriguing approaches for creating tomorrow's leaders.