Academy News

Encouraging a Proactive Attitude

The Academy for Chief Executives, a leading provider of experiential business learning® facilitates groups of CEOs and Managing Directors who meet together every month to network and take full advantage of experiential learning. Part of membership involves members taking their issues to the table and discussing them with their peers. At a recent meeting, one of the CEO members wanted to explore ideas on how to encourage a staff member to be more proactive.

Encouraging a Proactive Attitude

The Academy for Chief Executives, a leading provider of experiential business learning® facilitates groups of CEOs and Managing Directors who meet together every month to network and take full advantage of experiential learning. Part of membership involves members taking their issues to the table and discussing them with their peers. At a recent meeting, one of the CEO members wanted to explore ideas on how to encourage a staff member to be more proactive.

Massive Change equals Massive Opportunity

These were the words of Judy Piatkus, founder of Piatkus publishing, when she spoke at Entrepreneurs in London in November. It is a theme that is developing in the media, too as companies like Woolworth's and MFI go into administration and several major UK banks (and a number in the USA, too) move into effective nationalisation. As I write this, a rescue package for the big 3 motor manufacturers in the USA (all of them significant in global terms, too) has been voted down by the US Senate. The bloodletting has begun and the opportunities are out there.

"I have no doubt at all that my membership has more than paid for itself many times over."

Mark Robinson is Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Power Components (APC), an AIM-listed distributor of specialist Electronic Components. He was recently one of the South East Regional Finalists in The Sunday Times Bank of Scotland Entrepreneur Challenge 2008.

JAN 09: "Learning From A Big Failure" - Michael Jackson

In business you learn from your failures. It's important to recognize that, particularly early on in your career, you're going to make mistakes. Early lessons are often hard-won but will stand you in good stead during the course of your career. (Duration 4:26)

Featured Chairman - Simon Lester

Simon Lester, Chairman of North London & Hertfordshire based Academy Group 7 is one of The Academy's growing number of individuals who've made the transition from member to Chairman. "I guess you could say that having been a member for 9 years, I 'walked the talk' by taking the decision to start my own group." Simon smiles.

The leader's link to creativity and productivity - by Dan Bobinski

I can't tell you how many times I've walked into businesses and seen people - okay, the leadership - walking around with their shields up. Don't they remember what it was like to be part of the rank-and-file? Don't they know that their employees have great ideas for how to make things better?

And yet like a Klingon cruiser patrolling the neutral zone, their domineering presence results in people giving them a wide berth. I know it's not always intentional, but this kills creativity and productivity.

UK women give IT the thumbs-down

There's growing discontent in the British IT workplace, according to an English on-line job placement service, and it's an important bit of news for everyone.

Is HR up to managing global talent crisis?

With skilled workers increasing happy to cross continents to find work, how to manage talent shortages across the globe is set to be the key challenge facing HR for years to come.

TuneIN - Winter 2008

Welcome to the Winter edition of TuneIN. In this issue, don't miss the opportunity to hear from our founder, Brian Chernett, on how to stay positive when surrounded by negative news. We also hear from a member whose business has been affected in a good way by the current economic climate, and from another member whose most recent sustainability project will bring huge savings over the coming years.