Module #1

Dates: September 13-14, 2012

Challenges of Global Leaders

In both the public and private sector, the challenges of leaders are accelerating as technology helps topple countries, ethics issues are continually front-page news, and the interdependence of the global economy takes center stage. Leaders must manage an increasingly diverse and global work force, know how to lead virtually, accomplish more with fewer resources, and champion corporate responsibility and sustainability. It is not surprising that the leaders whom we coach may feel “in over their heads”. In the first day of our leadership coaching journey together, we will explore these leadership challenges and how we can serve our clients better as we broaden our body of distinctions about their leadership challenges. We will project into the future as we learn about the strengths and uniqueness of the next generation of leaders and what it will take for them to be the leaders who will save our planet. We will learn from each other about the leadership challenges we are noticing in our practice, how we are coaching our clients to become resilient, mindful, and inspiring leaders, and what we must do to contribute to the leadership development of “the next great generation.”

Learning Objectives:

  • Broaden the coach’s body of distinctions about leadership and the current and future challenges of leadership
  • Understand the impact of these challenges on coaching great leaders

Faculty

Dr. Gerald Suarez
Professor of the Practice
Department of Decision, Operations & Information Technologies
Robert H. Smith School of Business

Dr. Gerald Suarez, Professor of the Practice; Department of Decision, Operations & Information Technologies, Robert H. Smith School of Business and Lockheed Martin Visiting Technical Fellow at the Robert H. Smith School of Business

Dr. Suarez teaches courses at the corporate, executive MBA, full-time MBA, international, and undergraduate levels. He has served as the Associate Dean of External Strategy overseeing Smith's Offices of Career Services, Recruiting and Marketing Communications. He also served as the academic director for executive on-site programs at Lockheed Martin Corporation and Scientific Applications International Corporation (SAIC).

Prior to joining the Smith School, Dr. Suarez served under two administrations in the White House as the Director of Presidential Quality -- the first such post in the institution’s history. In this capacity, he initiated efforts to inculcate systems thinking and organizational redesign into the White House Communications Agency, the White House Military Office and the Executive Office of the President of the United States. He also served as Director of Customer Support and Organizational Development for the White House Military Office. He received many Presidential awards and commendations for his work, including the Exceptional Civilian Service Medal, the White House Distinguished Service Award, the Commander-in-Chief Coin, and the White House Certificate for Meritorious Service.

Dr. Suarez has produced several publications and instructional videotapes on teamwork, organizational redesign and managing fear in the workplace. His work has been showcased in international publications such as the Harvard Deusto Business Review, as well as in national publications such as the Journal for Quality and Participation.

Dr. Cindy Stevens
Associate Professor, Management and Organization
Robert H. Smith School of Business

Dr. Cynthia Kay Stevens is Associate Professor of Human Resource Management and Organizational Behavior at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland. Dr. Stevens teaches MBA and PhD seminars on negotiations, leadership development, decision-making, and human resource management in the Smith School’s MBA, EMBA, and PhD programs. She has also conducted training on topics including managing group processes, salary negotiation, performance review processes, interviewing skills, and employee development.

Dr. Stevens has taught in numerous corporate development programs. She has also worked as a consultant and executive coach for organizations, focusing on using multi-rater assessments and coaching to improve leadership skills, negotiation skill development, strategic human resource management, designing and implementing effective performance management systems, and workforce diversity.

Dr. Stevens has written over 25 scholarly articles and book chapters, and her work has appeared in publications such as the Journal of Applied Psychology, Personnel Psychology, Public Personnel Management, Organizational Behavior & Human Decision Processes, and the Academy of Management Journal.

Dr. Joseph Thomas
President and CEO
The Student-Leader Seminar

Dr. Joseph Thomas is President and CEO of The Student-Leader Seminar. He currently also serves as the Class of ’61 Chair and Distinguished Professor of Leadership Education at the US Naval Academy and instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School in Lander, WY. Joe teaches regularly on the topics of leadership, ethics, and character throughout the US, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East to a wide range of not-for-profit, public, and private sector audiences. He has also has taught at Notre Dame and the University of Maryland. A US Marine Corps officer for over 20 years, he is the past Director of the John A. Lejeune Leadership Institute at Marine Corps University in Quantico, VA, responsible for the leadership curriculum development for the Marine Corps. Joe has a unique perspective on leadership and an active role in developing the next generation of leaders, as he guides the leadership development for 4,000 students at the US Naval Academy. His research interests include developing experiential leadership opportunities for adult learners and educating adaptive thinkers on leadership skills in extreme situations and operating environments.

He has published articles and books on the subjects of character, training and education, and leadership, including Leadership Embodied (The US Naval Institute Press, 2005, 2007), Naval Leadership Capstone (McGraw-Hill, 2006), Leadership Explored (AcademX, 2007), and is co-author of a chapter in the book Leadership in Dangerous Situations (Potomac Books, 2011). Joe has Masters Degrees from Syracuse University and the US Army War College as well as a Ph.D. in Education Leadership from George Mason University and a Certificate in Public Leadership from the Brookings Institution. Joe and his wife Jackie have three sons.

The Business of Coaching

The Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship in the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland is known for its research and support of entrepreneurs. We will explore best practices in entrepreneurship for coaches, and debate the benefits and impact of social media in our coaching business models. During this module we will also have a panel of local corporate HR executives who are responsible for hiring external executive coaches. They will discuss their criteria for selecting coaches and answer our questions about their processes and their future plans for coaching, both internally and externally.

Susan Samakow will lead us in a robust discussion of successful business models for coaching as we share what works, what doesn’t, and what we can do to grow our business. In addition, a branding expert will provide guidance on how to develop our personal brands, whether for our coaching business or for individuals within a corporate setting.

Learning Objectives:

  • Learn best practices in entrepreneurship, including the use of social media
  • Understand the criteria used by corporate executives for hiring external coaches
  • Increase knowledge of successful business models for coaching
  • Develop an approach to branding your business

Faculty

  • Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, Robert H. Smith School of Business, University of Maryland
  • Panel of local corporate HR Executives who hire external coaches
  • Susan Samakow, 2011 ICF Global Education Committee Chair, and 2010 President of the ICF Metro D.C. Chapter

Karen McSteen
Owner and Principal brandMatters

Karen McSteen, principal of brandMatters and a member of the CLIC Advisory Council, brings over 25 years of experience helping Fortune 500 companies identify and develop strategies to maximize emerging opportunities in the areas of field operations, corporate marketing, executive leadership and brand management. She also specializes in applying these branding principles to individuals within organizations and to small businesses and consulting firms. McSteen focuses on developing brand-centered approach for her clients, a highly-effective strategy she honed in her leadership roles as AOL's Senior Vice President of Brand Strategy and Brand Vice President at Marriott International, and later from multiple strategic assignments at E! Entertainment, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, the National Restaurant Association and many others. "Living Your Brand" should be a key element of your coaching business strategy. 

Susan Samakow, PCC, CPCC
Owner, Susan Samakow Coaching, LLC

Susan Samakow is a Certified Executive, Life and Leadership Coach. She is also a speaker, trainer and facilitator. She has vast experience in business and leadership, and career and life transitions. At the foundation of her work is positive self-talk (our inner dialogue) and resiliency. She believes that what we say to ourselves is the determining factor for how we live our lives. She supports clients in shifting and sustaining a positive mindset and breaking through self imposed limits using her positive self-talk strategies and resiliency techniques. She helps successful professionals reach new levels of performance in management and leadership positions.

She has conducted executive coaching, individual and team coaching, workshops, company and board retreats, webinars, tele-seminars, and more. Her clients include individuals, businesses, government agencies, non-profits, coaches, and entrepreneurs.

She was the 2011 ICF Global Education Committee Chair, a post that followed an award winning term as the 2010 President of the ICF Metro D.C. Chapter. Under her direction the award-winning chapter grew to over 700 members (the largest in North America). She is also a WUSA9 (WCBS) content community producer. Susan is a graduate of the University of Maryland.

She is living her passion and loves what she does.