Super Leaders

First, a 9.0 earthquake rocked Japan, followed by a tsunami that swallowed everything in its path. Then, increasing unrest in the Middle East culminated in NATO air strikes on Libya and violent uprisings throughout the region. And all the while the financial markets continue to fluctuate wildly every day, eroding investor confidence and sparking fears of another economic meltdown.

If ever there were a time we needed strong leaders, it’s now. In fact, we need more than strong leaders—we need superheroes. Or at least, super leaders.

Luckily, there are folks around the world and in all industries stepping up to the plate. The training industry has forged its share of effective leaders and continues to do so. With this issue, we salute the up-and-coming leaders in the training field, recognizing their accomplishments and vision. Visit www.trainingmag.com to read the profiles of the 2011 Top Young Trainers, training professionals age 40 and under who are making a difference.

While the need for strong leaders seems obvious, not all companies are getting the message. In a global leadership survey Training conducted jointly with the American Management Association and The Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp), only one-third of 1,750 respondents reported they had created a global leadership development program. Furthermore, the survey found a clear gap between the importance of certain key competencies and the degree to which executives have mastered them—particularly concerning managing change, exhibiting agility, and developing global strategies.

A CareerBuilder survey of 2,480 U.S. employers and 3,910 U.S. workers likewise found that more than one-quarter of managers said they weren’t ready to become a leader when they started managing others, and 58 percent said they didn’t receive any management training.

This indicates a clear need for more and better leadership training and development—programs that are not only geared toward shaping great leaders but also induce these leaders to remain with their organizations long enough to make an impact. See "Please Don't Go!" to see what companies are doing to train and retain their leaders for the long term. Also, check out some best practices in leadership development from 2011 Training Top 125 winner Vistage and Top 10 Hall of Famer PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Speaking of the Training Top 125, the 2012 application is now available. Please visit www.trainingmag.com to download the application (middle column, second item). The deadline for submissions is September 26, 2011. The 2012 Top Young Trainer nomination form is also available on www.trainingmag.com (middle column, last item); submissions are due January 8, 2012.

One final date to mark on your calendar: October 4-5, 2011. That’s when Training’s new Learning 3.0 Conference will take place in Chicago. See p. 76 and visit www.trainingmagevent... to learn more.