Santa Clara University

The Taboos of Leadership with Anthony F. Smith

Thursday, September 27, 2007
8:30 - 11:00 a.m. (continental breakfast begins at 8:00 a.m.)
Santa Clara University
Price: $99/person (includes continental breakfast and a copy of Smith's book, The Taboos of Leadership)
Co-presented by SCU's Executive Development Center and the Human Capital Institute

When we think of cultural taboos, the usual suspects come to mind: bigotry, cheating on taxes, infidelity. When author Anthony Smith and his CEO clients discuss taboos, they talk about the issues leaders don't dare debate out loud, for fear their credibility will be undermined and their reputations damaged. In this program, Smith breaks the silence on the secrets that leaders can't address publicly for fear of losing power, self-respect, or their jobs because they run counter to everything we're taught these days about good leadership.

Anthony Smith is co-founder and a managing director of Leadership Research Institute and author of the groundbreaking new book, The Taboos of Leadership: The 10 Secrets No One Will Tell You About Leaders and What They Really Think. In his program, Smith will expose such untouchable topics as:

• political gamesmanship
• self-centeredness
• nepotism
• manipulation

Smith suggests that a public understanding of the gut-wrenching issues leaders face every day can be beneficial to everyone involved.

In this program "The Taboos of Leadership", Smith's goal is to transform these secrets into a real understanding of how leaders make tough decisions, how they inspire fear alongside loyalty and commitment, how attaining their position has cost them on a personal level. By helping participants understand these and other taboos and just how hard being at the helm of an organization really is, Smith will enable both leaders and those they lead to create an interactive culture of openness, trust, and improved performance in their organizations.

Tony Smith is a coach and consultant with more than 20 years' experience in executive development, social anthropology, and leadership design, having worked with such clients as The National Football League, General Electric, Goldman-Sachs, Coca-Cola, ESPN, American Express and Siemens AG. Smith earned his Doctorate in Administration with an emphasis in Leadership at the University of San Diego. He has served on the teaching and research faculties of universities such as the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and the prestigious EAP Graduate School (European School of Management) at Oxford.

What they're saying about his book:

"Those who write about leadership are sometimes hesitant to face the truth or acknowledge the messy stuff that fills up a leader's day. Tony hasn't shied away from any of that...this may be the first nonfiction book about leadership that I've encountered." -Steven M. Bornstein, CEO, NFL Media, former President, ESPN/ABC Television

Seminar Details:

Date & Time: Thursday, September 27, 2007, 8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (breakfast begins at 8:00 a.m.)

Price: $99 per person (includes continental breakfast and one copy of Anthony Smith's book, The Taboos of Leadership)

Location: Benson Center - California Mission Room (lower level), Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95053. Map of campus: http://www.scu.edu/map (Bldg #301)

Directions to Campus: http://www.scu.edu/map/parking/directions.cfm

Parking: Enter through the main gate of the University. The guard will provide you with a campus map, parking permit and direct you to available parking. There is a $6 charge for parking. Please expect a 5-minute walk to the seminar.

To register, go to:
http://www2.humancapitalinstitute.net/hci/events_bschool.guid?_trainingID=1222&_affiliateID=25XC3T

More comments on The Taboos of Leadership:

"Tony Smith gives us a refreshing look at the reality, not the rhetoric of leadership. Great lessons for today's leaders and those who want to be leaders." Jerome C. Vascellero, Texas Pacific Group & Director Emeriti, McKinsey and Company, Inc.

"...Dr. Anthony Smith not only uncovers the root causes of rampant disorders in the postmodern corporate world, he also prescribes a series of groundbreaking changes that are at once brilliant and startling. Nothing is sacred in this book. Myths are exploded, taboos are broken, and the result is a revelation of common sense long barred from the boardroom.: -Mark Shapiro, President & CEO, Six Flags, Inc.

This seminar is made possible through a partnership between the Executive Development Center of the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University and the Human Capital Institute (HCI).

ABOUT THE LEAVEY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1926, the Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University was one of the first business schools in the country to receive national accreditation. Its undergraduate business program was recently acknowledged among the best across the U.S., and its MBA and Executive MBA programs are ranked 12th and 21st, respectively, in the nation among graduate business programs. More than 80 percent of its 1,100 MBA students are working professionals in Silicon Valley. More information is available at www.scu.edu/business.

ABOUT THE HUMAN CAPITAL INSTITUTE

The Human Capital Institute is a global think tank, educator, and professional association defining the agenda and setting the pace for the new business science of human capital management. With over 80,000 members in over 40 countries, HCI offers a new association framework that cuts across the silos of recruitment, HR/OD, finance, sales and marketing, operations, manufacturing and IT. We provide key executives, line managers and human capital professionals with the newest education, most effective tools and best practices in talent strategy, acquisition, alignment, engagement, deployment, measurement, and retention. The future belongs to leaders with innovative ideas and strategic knowledge. We invite you to learn, share and grow your career with HCI's comprehensive resources, and join our high-achieving, forward-looking membership community. For more information, please visit: http://www.humancapitalinstitute.org.