There are a wide range of benefits from completing any type of executive training or coaching, and of course, said benefits are particularly useful for people who have or want executive jobs.
• Improved Communication Skills — People in executive jobs need to have very high-level communication skills. They need to be able to convey their ideas and decisions in a clear and concise manner. As an executive, you must communicate effectively with people from all levels of society. You must be able to discuss issues and ask questions to people at the lowest rungs of the corporate ladder, while you may also be asked to communicate with wealthy and important stockholders or government officials. You must also understand the nuances of persuasion and of nonverbal communication skills. Looking for programs that allow you to improve both your written and verbal communication skills can provide you with the greatest number of benefits.
• Better Understanding of Leadership — Most of us understand the word leadership but would have a difficult time defining the term if pressed to do so. That's because too often leadership is an abstract concept that seems impossible to explain in concrete terms. Of course, without being able to pin down what leadership really means, you may have a difficult time becoming a true leader. Through executive training courses and seminars, however, you can come to understand what is meant by being a leader and you can gain opportunities to practice these skills.
• Improved Ability to Handle Real Job Issues — Because these seminars are geared towards people who either want or have executive jobs, they are going to include issues and situations which you are very likely to experience in your real work experiences. Not only will this make what you learn more easy to understand because you'll gain specific hands-on experience, but you'll have some concrete experiences to share with those higher-ups who are in charge of making decisions about your future.
• Opportunities to Learn from Others — The best of these seminars don't just involve lectures or PowerPoint presentations on what it takes to be a leader. Instead, the attendees learn from studying one another. Most include small groups that work together in order to learn techniques that will be useful in executive jobs. You may also learn from other executive leaders who have proven success in their respective industries. In some cases, you may even learn from the examples of past and present leaders in business, in government, and from around the world.
There are a number of workshops and seminars available to people who want to improve their chances of getting executive jobs or who want to improve their performance in their current executive jobs. Below are a few examples of these training programs.
• Excelerate, Inc. — This Irvine, California-based company runs a communication workshop known as the Sweet Life. It is an adapted version of a leadership program the company has already been offering successfully to Fortune 500 executives. The program is formed as a type of retreat with individuals coming to learn new tools for dealing with others effectively and learning more about their own approaches to communication.
• Gazelles — This firm puts on international seminars for those holding or wanting executive jobs. Individuals who participate in the one- or two-day seminars are placed into groups of 8 to 12 other executives so that not only can they benefit from the training but also from communicating with other executives about the practices being used in their companies. Additionally, the seminars are conducted by successful executives from Fortune 50 companies or involve tours of some of the top corporations in the country, such as Dell.
• Global Executive Seminars — This company offers two-day seminars in the United States and Canada. During the seminar, participants learn about leadership by examining the personalities and actions of historic leaders, including Martin Luther King, Jr.; Hammurabi; Sun Tzu; George Washington; and many others from politics and business. Each seminar is limited to only eleven people.
Choosing a Seminar Program
In many cases, you won't have the opportunity to choose the program in which you wish to participate. If you already have an executive job, you may be selected by your boss to participate in one of these programs with other members of the management team. In such cases, the company will typically pay all of the fees associated with the training, although you may be required to sign an agreement to remain with the firm for a specific period of time so that the training does not help you find a position with another company.
However, you can always opt to pursue this type of training on your own. Many of these programs are accessible via the Internet, and you can generally request quotes via email. Be sure to carefully understand what is involved in each of these programs before you decide which one to choose for your needs. If you are currently working in an executive job, you may want to consider discussing your options with someone above you. They may have their own recommendations, and even if they do not, letting them know you are planning on embarking on further training to improve your leadership and communication skills can only help you stand out among the rest of the people holding executive jobs in your company.
If you are not employed at a company yet, consider discussing seminar and workshop programs with the faculty at your university or with your school's job placement office. They may also have recommendations.
