Welcome!

We have 3 great topics for your consideration:

Plus, a quick look at some of our International Adventures and Upcoming Programs.

While headlines from around the world offer daily reminders (some grim, some laughable) of the need for more authentic leaders and leadership in all walks of life, we are encouraged by the energy and dedication of so many of you we have met and worked with.

We wish you wind in your sails on your own leadership journey. Let us know if ALI can assist you or your organization in identifying – and leading from – your own True North.



Nick Craig
President, Authentic Leadership Institute
email: info@authleadership.com
website: www.authleadership.com

What’s the Volcano in Your Leadership?

This spring Iceland’s unpronounceable but unforgettable volcano Eyjafjallajokull put on quite a show closing down U.K. airspace and disrupting international travel in all directions. Managing is about making things predictable — leadership is required when things don’t go as planned. Volcanos, Greece, CDOs, oil spills … all have one thing in common: They don’t fit in your calendar book but they really do show you what people are made of (or not). Authentic leadership is about helping each of us be better prepared to lead when the volcano shows up in our office.  Because it is going to show up again.

If you look back at your previous volcanos, many times they are the events that impact us so much more than the nice cruise in the Caribbean. Research shows that executives learn 70% of their craft through job assignments and most of that is from the 25% that are the most difficult and challenging experiences. A calm sea never created a great ship captain. 

That’s why we spend most of our time working with executives on unpacking and discovering the gifts found in those challenging volcanic moments. …Most of us probably know someone who was stuck in a country they weren’t planning to be in during the “eruption.” How they operated at that time will tell you a lot about their leadership. Many of the leaders I was working with that were stuck in the U.S. found that they had more time for reflection, strategic thinking, and really getting to build relationships with parts of their team — things they wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise. … It’s not what happens but what you do with it that counts.

Having talked to a number of airline reservationists, it seems some people weren’t so reflective. … So, if you were stuck, which end of the spectrum did you find yourself on? 

(Wharton Executive Education is launching a new program this September, developed and led by Wharton Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics Tom Donaldson and ALI’s Nick Craig. For more information, see Authentic Leadership: The Impact of Integrity.)

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Canceling Christmas & Turkey Volcanos (Excerpt from Far from the Land: An Irish Memoir)

Thomas Rice grew up in rural Ireland on a farm. His “Canceling Christmas” story is a classic example of what we call a crucible story: a self-induced “volcanic” event. It occurred when he was 8 years old and responsible for the care and feeding of the Christmas turkeys. …Today Thomas lives in Boston and is the former CEO of Interaction Associates and a board member of ALI. … Click here to view “Canceling Christmas.”
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Leading Your Inner Team

Over the last three years we have been working with thought leaders Richard Schwartz (Center for Self Leadership) and Carol Kauffman (Institute of Coaching at Harvard Medical School) to refine the approach to Authentic Leadership coaching. The model is based on the simple premise that the most effective leaders are those who can lead both their outer and inner teams with high awareness and agility. Yes, think of all those lovely voices in your head as team members. Learning to recognize and lead your multifaceted inner team is as important as knowing and leading your top management team. Which team members take over and which don’t get a word in edgewise? What we are developing is a model to manage both, so that you are able to be more congruent and calm!

Have you ever wondered if it’s a good or bad day to talk with your inner boss(es) — or whether to trust that voice that seems like it’s marching to a different drummer?

Participants who took part in this spring’s pilot workshop gave the approach rave reviews. We are planning to hold the next introductory session this summer. Call us at 978-772-4827, or send an email to jbrinkman@authleadership.com, if you would like to know more about Leading Your Inner Team.

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ALI Around the World: Where we are working outside the U.S.

In the Middle East

In May, ALI’s Tim Dorman returned to the American University of Beirut, where he is a Visiting Scholar, to deliver a series of classes at the Olayan School of Business on applying Authentic Leadership in today’s challenging business environment. Drawing on several case studies after students had shared their crucible experiences, he led discussions and debate on how they would handle different leadership roles in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, recalls at Ford and Firestone, and student protests at the university itself. Authentic Leadership has now been integrated into the business school’s curriculum as a capstone program for graduating students.

In Mexico

In July, Tim and Marilena Beuses, ALI Senior Consultant for Latin America, will lead an offsite program in Mexico City for the Latin American leadership team of one of the world’s largest agricultural companies. The focus will include both individual executive development and leadership team effectiveness.

In Europe

In September and through December, ALI will be out in force as we return to Unilever’s Leadership Development Centre in London to continue development work with Unilever’s top 100 executives from around the world. Joining us in that engagement will be Bill George and Scott Snook, Professors of Management at Harvard Business School.

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Upcoming Programs

We will be leading Authentic Leadership sessions in these upcoming programs at the Wharton School’s Aresty Institute of Executive Education in Philadelphia:

• Authentic Leadership: The Impact of Integrity (September 13-16, 2010) – Developed and led by Wharton Professor of Legal Studies and Business Ethics Tom Donaldson and ALI president Nick Craig in response to the clear need for leadership based on long-term values not short-term gains, this new offering  helps participants uncover the power of leadership that is already within them to face the toughest challenges and act on their convictions, with or without consensus.
• High-Potential Leaders: Accelerating Your Impact (October 24-29, 2010; Registration deadline, September 13) – Leadership experts such as Ram Charan, Tal Ben-Shahar, and Nick Craig join Wharton faculty to help participants build strategic business acumen, clarify their leadership vision, and engage the hearts and minds of the people they lead.
• Wharton Advanced Management Program (October 3 - November 5, 2010) – Wharton’s premier senior management program – its multidimensional 5-week program for top executives – starts off with intensive Authentic Leadership workshops that generate powerful catalysts for personal development and genuine peer interaction.

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“Management is doing things right: leadership is doing the right things.” —Peter Drucker

ALI's mission is to guide our clients to identify and consistently operate from their own unique True North.