May 16th Vistage Speaker discusses…

Posted byedstillmanPosted inMy perspective

“Developing Leadership Through an Intentional Corporate Culture”

Austin Business Community:

Dr. Balaji Krishnamurthy flies in from Portland, Oregon and is a veteran corporate executive with more than 30 years of corporate experience, having ran 15 different businesses in his career. With a Ph.D. in computer science and a strong technology background, he has run a variety of service- and manufacturing-based, private and public, technology businesses ranging from millions of dollars to a billion dollars.

As president and chief executive officer of Planar Systems from 1999 to 2005, he led the company’s transformation from a sleepy technology company to a leading player in the exploding flat-panel display market. Even as the technology industry collapsed, annual sales of this NASDAQ company more than doubled under his watch, to $256 million. Time magazine recently recognized him as one of “25 Global Business Influentials,” and national publications such as the Wall Street Journal have featured Balaji and his innovative concepts as representing a new genre of corporate leadership.

Although Balaji has five advanced degrees from prestigious institutions, his concepts of leadership are shaped from the laboratory of corporate experience rather than the classrooms of academic learning. Yet, his academic training has caused him to structure his experience into practical models and tools that he has used and taught throughout his career and now teaches to corporate executives.

Currently, as chairman of Think Shift, Balaji communicates his decades of corporate leadership experience through provocative logic and passionate delivery. Known for his innovative and thought-provoking concepts on corporate leadership and governance, Balaji works with CEOs to develop organic leadership through an intentional corporate culture.

Our business owner group meeting will have room for 6 guests for this 3 hour workshop. Please connect with me if interested in attending.

Program Description

The most common limiting agent for a growing small corporation is neither market opportunity, nor investment capacity; instead it is usually the limited leadership talent below the CEO. Senior leadership frequently focuses so exclusively on the growth of the company, that it often neglects growing its internal leadership, the fuel for continued growth. Balaji Krishnamurthy insists that while leadership can be developed, it can not be learnt or imitated, and suggests that business leaders must develop a clear and intentional leadership agenda that is their own. Using thought-provoking logic and a passionate style of delivery, Krishnamurthy causes each member of the audience to examine their own unique style of leadership. This style must then be translated into an intentional corporate culture, which becomes a source for developing internal leadership that is consistent with the company’s core values.

 

A concrete framework for developing an intentional corporate culture is offered that will allow participants to analyze their current culture against their intent. While a broad overview of the components of the framework will be covered, time permits an in-depth study of one of the following cultural topics, to be chosen beforehand by the chair: Should the culture serve the shareholders, customers or employees? Creating speed and agility as a corporate asset Cultural philosophies for staffing, evaluating, and rewarding employees The science, art & culture of decision making

 

A culture of consensus and concurrence is the road to mediocrity Motherhood and apple pie: Cultural ingredients for status quo Common cultures across disparate sites Multi-national cultures versus trans-national cultures Silent dissent and the missing ethic in corporate cultures Encouraging the heart through a culture of communication The audience will leave with the ability to analyze their own leadership style and agenda. They will have a framework within which they can formulate and articulate their intentional corporate culture. Specifically, they will have concrete tools to analyze a soft subject like corporate culture and use it to develop leadership from within. Most importantly, they will leave energized to act.

 

RSVP Ed Stillman M/T 512.422.6232

 

Published by edstillman

I grew up in Carlsbad, north San Diego County, lost my dad as a teenager, went into the USAF for four years and hired on with 3M in 1969. Received my AA from Santa Barbara City College, BA and Masters from Redlands University and after 33 plus years, I retired from 3M in 2002. As I look back on my life, I have been creating myself and developing my skill sets to be a business coach and a Vistage Chair. I am president of SEOT, a "personal improvement" consulting firm spending most of my time working with Central Texas executives running small to medium size for-profit companies who are focusing on improving their profitability greater than their competition. My area of interest is assisting senior executives in creating a better balance between business commitments and personal relationships. I also facilatate three leadership labs each consisting of a dozen owners, presidents and CEOs. We meet monthly both in a group setting as well as in a 1-to-1 coaching session. Our focus is to sharpen each others' skills in becoming better leaders, making better decisions and taking ourselves and companies to that next level. Who are we? My members are experienced top executives who recognize that they don’t have all the answers and who actively seek the company of successful peers—both to give and receive insights and ideas. My members mine the 200 plus years of chief executive experience that comes together in our monthly meetings and members are eager to offer their own experience and insights in the process. As a group, we spend our time exploring topics members can't discuss anywhere else. My members have many other places where they can engage in idle, "cocktail party" chatter. Our mission is to provide the setting for discussing the "undiscussable." Where or who can you go to for confidential, honest feedback to assist you in minimizing your personal "Worry List"?