Triad Insurance
Memo
To: Mr. Robert Shaw (CEO, TICI)
From: Ms. Denise Khali (Vice-President of Human Resources)
CC: None (Confidential)
Date: October 4, 2010
Re: Leadership Development Programs
This is in response to your request for our office to evaluate the merit of Mr. Clarke’s proposal that we establish and fund a new leadership development program for our junior insurance executives.
1.0 Background
At the senior executive staff meeting of September 8, 2010, the director of operations suggested that Triad Insurance Company of Indianapolis (TICI) establish a leadership development program to prepare junior insurance executives for future advancement into executive positions. Specifically, the proposal was to send 20 employees off-site each year for a three-week program offered by the Aspen Leadership Institute of Colorado at a cost of $5,000.00 USD per student. The total cost to TIC would be $100,000.00 per year plus approximately the same amount for lost time on the job.
2.0 Discussion
TICI has been in business for over 50 years. Our average growth rate is 12% per annum. None of our twelve senior executives has attended a leadership development seminar and yet our company has been prosperous. This calls into question whether a leadership development program is even necessary. Moreover, since our leadership has been successful and effective without such programs it appears that leaders are born, not made. In fact, I surveyed your senior staff and all but one agreed with this notion. To quote the famous economist Dr. Carleton Parker, each of us is “born into this world accompanied by a rich, psychical disposition, which furnishes him ready-made all his motivations of conduct…He can show a demand for nothing that is not prompted by this galaxy of instincts.”
The online reference Wikipedia defines leadership as “the ability of an individual to influence, motivate, and enable others.” There exists an entire school of leadership theory which
To: Mr. Robert Shaw (CEO, TICI)
From: Ms. Denise Khali (Vice-President of Human Resources)
CC: None (Confidential)
Date: October 4, 2010
Re: Leadership Development Programs
This is in response to your request for our office to evaluate the merit of Mr. Clarke’s proposal that we establish and fund a new leadership development program for our junior insurance executives.
1.0 Background
At the senior executive staff meeting of September 8, 2010, the director of operations suggested that Triad Insurance Company of Indianapolis (TICI) establish a leadership development program to prepare junior insurance executives for future advancement into executive positions. Specifically, the proposal was to send 20 employees off-site each year for a three-week program offered by the Aspen Leadership Institute of Colorado at a cost of $5,000.00 USD per student. The total cost to TIC would be $100,000.00 per year plus approximately the same amount for lost time on the job.
2.0 Discussion
TICI has been in business for over 50 years. Our average growth rate is 12% per annum. None of our twelve senior executives has attended a leadership development seminar and yet our company has been prosperous. This calls into question whether a leadership development program is even necessary. Moreover, since our leadership has been successful and effective without such programs it appears that leaders are born, not made. In fact, I surveyed your senior staff and all but one agreed with this notion. To quote the famous economist Dr. Carleton Parker, each of us is “born into this world accompanied by a rich, psychical disposition, which furnishes him ready-made all his motivations of conduct…He can show a demand for nothing that is not prompted by this galaxy of instincts.”
The online reference Wikipedia defines leadership as “the ability of an individual to influence, motivate, and enable others.” There exists an entire school of leadership theory which