PHILADELPHIA, April 6, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Aresty Institute of Executive Education at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania has created a new three-day program, Authentic Leadership: The Impact of Integrity. The executive education program will help business executives uncover the power within them to be leaders who tackle difficult challenges and act on their convictions with integrity. The program addresses the crisis in leadership exemplified in the collapse of major organizations across the automotive, banking, finance, publishing, and other industries, as well as state governments.
"The economic crisis finds its way to each business leader and shakes them, forcing them to think about leadership that works not only now, but also tomorrow," says Wharton Legal Studies and Business Ethics Professor Thomas Donaldson, who will teach in the program. "Business schools don't always teach integrity and authenticity because they are hard to quantify. But if we neglect these things then we don't find our deeper resources for leadership."
The transformative effect of this executive education program lies in helping people integrate those deeper resources into their leadership agenda, Donaldson explains. "We'll take a look at things they've considered many times like financial results, compliance systems, and public reactions to business decisions, but we'll give participants a different lens that allows them to see parts of the world they couldn't see before. They will walk away with a clearer vision."
Nick Craig, who teaches in the program and is founder and president of the Authentic Leadership Institute, agrees. "CEOs have to make incredibly complicated decisions for which there are often no good answers or data. Those decisions require a deep understanding of a leader's own authenticity, which is an essential truth about who they are and how they operate in the world. Participants will become clear on what it means to lead from their core, gain a better understanding of how to deal with real issues, and be able to make the changes necessary for creating sustainable organizations."
The experiential program will explore leaders' "crucible stories" — critical moments in their life when they drew on their strengths and values to identify what drives them and their purpose as a leader. They will create action plans for leading from their "sweet spots" — where unique strengths are aligned with purpose — to achieve long-term, sustainable results. A series of interactive exercises using case studies will further help participants to identify authentic leadership behaviors and actions.
The executive education program examines how the force of even tough compliance systems pales in comparison to the power of ethical culture and authentic leaders. During the program, participants will address how to avoid the pitfalls that caused firms to fail during the recent financial crisis, and learn how to inspire their teams to become leaders who achieve their best.
An additional benefit of the program, notes Craig, is the networking opportunities that allow participants to create their own personal "boards of directors." He explains, "If they have to make an unbelievably difficult decision after the program, they will have a network of trusted people to call."
The executive education program, which runs Sept. 13–16, 2010, and April 4–7, 2011, is for middle and senior managers from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. To learn more, go to: http://executiveeducation.wharton.upenn.edu/open-enrollment/leadership-development-programs/authentic-leadership.cfm
About Executive Education at the Wharton School
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania — founded in 1881 as the first collegiate business school — is recognized globally for intellectual leadership and ongoing innovation across every major discipline of business education. The most comprehensive source of business knowledge in the world, Wharton bridges research and practice through its broad engagement with the global business community. The school has more than 4,700 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students; more than 9,000 annual participants in executive education programs; and an alumni network of more than 84,000 graduates. For more information: www.wharton.upenn.edu
Informed by in-depth, groundbreaking academic research and extensive industry experience, Wharton Executive Education programs can span anywhere from a few days to six weeks or longer. Each executive education program offers a supportive and challenging context where participants gain the skills necessary for their next level of executive development. Participants who come to Wharton from a diverse range of industries engage with faculty who are the most cited, most published faculty of all top-tier business schools. With a profound influence upon global business, Wharton faculty are the sought-after, trusted advisors of corporations and governments worldwide.