"Leaders there have to be, and these may appear to rise above their fellow men, but in their hearts they know only too well that what has been attributed to them is in fact the achievement of the team to which they belong."

 Leonard Cheshire VC, OM, DSO**, DFC

Imagine the scene - It is eight o'clock in the morning. The chairman and 10 executives are gathered around the boardroom table. Nothing particularly unusual about that. But where this meeting differs is that every one of the directors here is a chief executive, managing director or managing partner — and only one of them is on home ground.

For this is a monthly gathering of members of the Astute Leaders Academy, a learning and mentoring organisation for those who want to grow themselves and their businesses.

Much has been expounded about the benefits of training and sympathetic lines of management at all levels, but for those in the driving seat the sort of feedback required to nurture success is often in short supply.

The Institute of Directors has recently published a number of surveys showing the trend towards director development and demonstrating a major shift in attitudes in recent years. Leadership skills are now-considered as important as strategic awareness among directors who, less than a decade ago, ranked ambition, drive and enthusiasm at the top of the list of priorities.

Norris Management is joining with Euroleaders to launch a new Leadership Academy in the Midlands to develop greater leadership skills and business best practice. The Leadership Academy model is uniquely British and well tried elsewhere in the UK.

Tony Reid, an experienced Leadership Academy Chairman says: “With the commitment of regular attendance, a positive hunger for learning new skills and a willingness to share their experiences, the Chief Executives with the help of the academy chairman will:

• accelerate business growth with a strong focus on developing clear financial goals and stretching profitability targets.
• develop their leadership skills to take their businesses and their own people upward along the growth path
• enhance and enrich the lives of academy members by providing a stimulating environment of like-minded leaders who share problems and opportunities in a confidential setting.

TAKE ACTION!

Why wait, this is a well established format in a number of locations in the UK. Tony Reid, says "It is often difficult at first for busy chief executives to juggle their diaries to ensure they can get to the monthly meetings” but Tony goes on to stress " the chemistry of the whole group depends on such commitment and it is not long before members see the benefits."

Join an active group by contacting Phil Norris at Norris Management Ltd on  01283 509064 , info@norris-management.co.uk or register your interest by clicking on CONTACT US . 

Downloads of Astute Leaders' Prospectus and Agreements are available on Astute Leaders Academy Downloads