As senior executives ascend the management ladder, many find that the soft skills of leadership constitute their hardest challenges. Furthermore, most executives have come to rely on a familiar set of behaviors and skills. Recent data shows that top-performing leaders exhibit high emotional intelligence; they are able to adapt interpersonally and thrive in a diverse range of situations. Based on two of the Graduate School of Business' most popular and long-standing courses, this program's unique T-Group (Training Group) methodology and 12:1 student-faculty ratio provide a highly personalized learning experience for each participant. In this highly interactive program, senior-level executives learn how to engage in productive interpersonal exchanges, assess the impact of their own behaviors and leadership styles, and excel at creating more powerful, professional relationships in a variety of contexts.

Location: Chaminade Executive Conference Center
Program tuition includes private accommodations, all meals, and course materials.

Program Overview

As a business leader, you live in an increasingly interdependent world where you need others to get your work done. As you move up the leadership hierarchy, "command and control" no longer works as the major source of power—the ability to influence others becomes the determining factor for success. This workshop focuses on improving your emotional intelligence via the T-Group methodology. In small, experiential group settings, you will observe how your individual behavior affects others in real time, customize your learning based on those observations, practice key leadership skills with peer feedback, and experience the power that comes from being more fully yourself while becoming more effective. The afternoon application sessions transfer learning directly to the participant's work situation. Class size is limited to 36 participants (divided into T-Groups of 12) to ensure maximized interaction with faculty and peer teams.

A Leadership Questionnaire is distributed to each participant's colleagues and direct reports before the program. Participants then use the results to develop their own leadership action plans tailored to their personal objectives and the needs of their companies.

This unique program, hailed as nothing less than transformative, was developed from 30 years of work by faculty director David Bradford and his colleagues. Now, business executives will have the opportunity to benefit from this personally rewarding experience.

Faculty Director
Other Faculty
David L. Bradford

Eugene D. O'Kelly II Senior Lecturer in Leadership, Emeritus; Director of the Executive Program in Leadership; Director of the Interpersonal Dynamics for High-Performance Executives Program

Dr. Bradford's interests are in the areas of leadership, interpersonal influence, and executive teams. In all of these, he has focused on the question, "What does it take to achieve high performance?" The results have suggested that, especially in knowledge-based organizations, excellence is most likely when leaders build strong teams where the members' role is significantly expanded so that they share responsibility for the management of the unit (including making the core decisions jointly and holding each other accountable for performance). His recent work on influence has led to exploring the conditions for a "feedback rich organization" where team members, through a structured process, give each other face-to-face feedback to improve individual and team performance.

Lecturer in Organizational Behavior

MBA Class of '78 Lecturer in Organizational Behavior; Director of the Arbuckle Leadership Fellows Program

Key Takeaways
  • Skills for developing, managing, and adapting personal style and behavior to a wider range of constituents for more effective leadership
  • Frameworks and practice for inviting and providing feedback that strengthens performance and relationships
  • Application plans for participants to apply the program learnings to their own specific work situations and to commit to a set of concrete implementation goals
  • Optional follow-up coaching within two months of the program to help participants implement their application plan
  • Practical tools that you can immediately apply based on the personalized Leadership Questionnaire
 
 
 
 
 
 

Highlighted Sessions

The Power of Inquiry and Feedback
Leaders often hire others for their potential, so developing their teams' abilities becomes a crucial task. One of the most powerful tools in this regard is the effective use of feedback. In this session, faculty will introduce participants to, and give them an opportunity to work with, a model to strengthen their competency in giving and receiving regular, specific, face-to-face feedback.

The Power of Influence
Influence is the key to getting things done in today's organizations. Work is becoming more complex and interdependent. Leaders need others for information and resources, as well as their cooperation to implement solutions. Increasingly this involves having to influence peers, both within departments and across business units. This session will provide participants with conceptual models, tools, and experiential activities that strengthen this critical leadership skill.

Who Should Attend?

This program is designed for senior-level executives and general managers with at least seven years of management experience. It is appropriate for executives from organizations of any size and in any industry.
SAMPLE Participant Mix
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My experience in the program allowed me to gain a better understanding of myself, and how I am perceived and communicate with others. This improved self-awareness and understanding has me to improve my ability to quickly relate to others on a deeper, more personal level, and rapidly develop meaningful dialogue that is clearly understood. I have continued to develop and focus on the tools that were revealed to me during the program, leading to incredible results in my professional and personal life.
– Michael Flowers
National Account Director, Federal Markets
Sepracor, Inc.
I learned so much about how I can develop my emotional skills to further develop my leadership skills. The concepts are simple, but extremely powerful. The week-long program was amazing and very revealing to me on a personal and professional level. I will continue to use these skills for the rest of my life.
– Brian Frantum
Former Vice President, Corporate Controller
Terra Industries Inc.
The Interpersonal dynamics course has been an eye opening experience. It took me out of my comfort zone and helped me connect with the leader I aspire to be. I truly believe that this experience was essential to get me to where I am, President and CEO of ThedaCare.
– Dean Gruner
President and CEO
ThedaCare
If you want to work hard to know yourself better and to practice expressing your feelings better to become a more efficient leader - this is for you.
– Jyrki Veranen
Country Leader
Capgemini Consulting

Facilities

 
 
 
 
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Chaminade Executive Conference Center

Built high on a bluff, the Chaminade Executive Conference Center commands a panoramic view of the Monterey Bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains. Chaminade's beautiful setting promotes balance in living and learning.

Woven into the academically rigorous sessions is the opportunity for participants to take advantage of the unique setting to explore, exercise, or contemplate in a secluded, tranquil environment.

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Accommodations

Chaminade's spacious guest rooms offer the amenities business executives have come to expect, from feather beds and ultra-plush duvets to desks equipped with high-speed internet access.

The sleeping rooms feature views of the surrounding eucalyptus forest or of our resort grounds and heated swimming pool.

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Dining

Each meal offers a vast buffet of locally inspired fare including vegetarian specialties. Chaminade's executive chef finds an abundant supply of fresh seafood and produce from the local Monterey Bay region. Every dish is prepared on site, and many foods are complemented with fresh herbs collected from Chaminade's own gardens.

Participants are invited to eat al fresco on the Sunset Terrace where they can continue their program discussions, enjoy the sun-warmed patio, and admire the scenic mountain view.

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Meeting Facilities

Set high in the mountains, under crystal blue skies, Chaminade's location encourages participants to reenergize, focus, and engage in Stanford's intense learning experience.

The program is organized into general group sessions and T-Group break out sessions allowing maximum interaction among your peers and Stanford faculty.

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Recreation

Chaminade offers several recreational options. They include: a state-of-the-are fitness center, a luxurious full-service spa, an outdoor heated swimming pool and Jacuzzis, lighted tennis courts and picturesque hiking trails.

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Location

Chaminade Executive Conference Center is located on a hilltop in the lower Santa Cruz Mountains in Santa Cruz, California. The closest airport is San Jose International Airport located 40 minutes from the facilities.

San Francisco International Airport is located 90 minutes from the facilities. Average temperatures in June range from a high 74ºF (23ºC) of to a low of 50ºF (10ºC). Chaminade is within a short drive of Big Basin Redwood State Park, the Pacific coastline, local wineries, Pebble Beach, and Monterey Bay.

CONTACT

Sara Fernandez
Associate Director, Programs and Marketing
Phone: 650.724.4882
Email: [email protected]