LEADERSHIP

"If we’re going to change Montana, going to build a new image for the state, it has to start now. Collaboration I will point to as the number one leadership issue of the 21st century,"

Last week, the National Association for Female Executives, while releasing its “Top 30 Companies for Executive Women” annual report, said that lack of targeted training — not lack of ambition — blocks women’s advancement to the highest ranks of corporate America. The companies lauded in the report — including Hewlett-Packard of Palo Alto, the only Silicon Valley company on the list — are all credited with having exemplary programs to prepare women for top positions.

Question: Do you have anything to share regarding the subject of asking the right questions? Someone once said "Forget the answers; focus on asking the right questions."

Tragically, some leaders get to the point where they fire individuals who don’t praise them sufficiently.

“We see a real strong sense of dissatisfaction about all segments of state leadership,” said Webb Brown, Montana Chamber President. “It’s pretty much across the board.”

Trust your team, but help them to become trustworthy.

A new, four-part radio series, entitled "Leadership Across Boundaries," profiles the work of innovative grassroots leaders who are addressing challenges in communities across the world. The series is based on interviews conducted at a summer…

Most of our Premier 100 leaders cringe at being singled out of the IT crowd for a special honor. Yet they each lead in a unique way, shaped by their company cultures, their backgrounds, their experience. They would all tell you they’re not doing anything unusual, which is where we have to respectfully disagree.

These six leaders stepped into their top jobs at a time of enormous challenge. Here’s what each of them has to say about their approach to passing today’s tough test and setting the agenda for the future.

To paraphrase Bill Shore, a compass — more than brains or money — is a leader’s most valuable tool. Next time you are asked to lead, pick up a compass. Take a moment to get your bearings. Become a leader, support those who choose to lead and thank those who have risked leadership.