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Points of View: Business Week is leadership training for all |
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Written On: November/December 2006 |
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Written By: by Stan McNaughton |
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Stan McNaughton is chairman, president and chief executive officer of PEMCO Insurance Companies. He is also president of PEMCO Corporation and serves as chairman of Evergreen Bancorp Inc. McNaughton currently serves on the boards of the Pacific Science Center, Washington Roundtable, Junior Achievement, Partnership for Learning, TVW, and Washington Research Council, and is co-chair of University of Washington School of Medicine’s Trauma and Burn Committee.
As a five-time volunteer company adviser at Washington Business Week, it gradually became evident to me that I receive much more value than I give.
I’ve been to a lot of leadership courses and conferences, and I can personally attest that Washington Business Week has provided me with the most reward, because that’s where "the theory hits the road." The learning is incredible for all involved — the students and the volunteer leaders.
Preparing for the future
As we look at our changing times and the current strain on our education system, many business leaders realize the need for new and innovative ways to get people ready to enter the workforce. Between 5 and 10 million baby boomers may retire by 2010. That alone will have a huge impact on our current labor force and require many people to increase their skills to meet the demand of fewer workers and lost talent.
Washington Business Week helps set the stage for high school students to prepare for real-life experiences in the business world. For one week of their lives they’re transformed into company owners, learning about business, ethical leadership, risk, teamwork, and a whole variety of skills that are crucial to success.
As business leaders, we must ask ourselves what we can do to supplement high school students’ learning to help prepare them for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead? How can we increase leadership skills for ourselves and our current employees? Washington Business Week is more than a great start on both fronts.
Leadership training pays off
Business and community volunteers come from around the state to act as advisers to each student company. When volunteers from PEMCO return after a week at the program, they have a better understanding and appreciation of our future workforce. They have measurably developed their own essential skills, and they’re always energized from the experience.
The challenge with most leadership courses is that you need time to adopt new behavior habits, and new habits require immediate practice, more practice, and feedback. This program is all about real-time feedback. Most leadership courses come in one of two varieties: A one- or two-day conference that’s quickly forgotten, or an extended leadership course that’s very costly and big on theory. Both tend to focus only on those already near the top of their organizations, but the need for effective leadership occurs at every level in a company.
As a Business Week company adviser, you hold the power to transform the students’ learning experience into your own “virtual leadership laboratory.” If you challenge yourself, you can actually practice and perfect many of the timeless leadership concepts that are locked up in the dusty three-ring binders on your bookshelf.
Support Business Week
The bottom line is, after a week as an adviser, you’ll have moved ahead on your professional development goals, honed your leadership skills, gained a better understanding of the many aspects of business, and helped others grow toward becoming our future business leaders.
You’ll also build an incredible extension to your current network of business contacts. Years later, I’m still friends with many of the leaders I met at Washington Business Week.
Washington Business Week provides real-life, real-time leadership training for all. It’s a great leadership workout that deserves all of our support. I recommend you go for it!
Business Week’s goal is to prepare our youth for life after high school, regardless of their chosen career path. The week is all about leadership, free enterprise, teamwork, ethics and more. New in 2007 will be specific pathways focusing on accounting, construction and health care careers. For more information, please go to www.wbw.org or call (253) 815-6900.
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