Keys to Developing Effective Leaders
by Tony Hawk
 When we ask leaders, “What is the greatest obstacle to your organization’s ability to achieve your vision, goals and objectives?” they have been consistent with their response. The primary obstacle they identify is attracting, developing and retaining the right people.
This is consistent with some of the best selling business authors and researchers today:
Jim Collins, in Good to Great, tells us that getting the right people in the right place on the bus is essential for the next steps which involve disciplined thought followed by disciplined action.
Patrick Lencioni, in Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive, suggests that one of the obsessions of a great executive is their commitment to and involvement in the selection of the right people for those seats on the bus.
Daniel Goleman, in Primal Leadership, and Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, in First Break All the Rules, tell us that these leaders must be able to connect with the people they lead and be capable of creating an environment where those people can perform, excel and succeed.
While each of the leaders we select comes to us with potential, not all of them are performing to their maximum. The next logical question is “What does it take to develop leaders into the kinds of men and women who can help an organization achieve the desired results?” For most executives asking this question, “results” is much more than a numeric goal. We measure our success by the entire scorecard. This may include such things as creating a high performance, ethical culture, engaging the community and embracing diversity.
The Center for Creative Leadership asked successful leaders to identify the things that have contributed most to their development as a leader. They identified the following four factors listed here according to impact on their development:
Personal Hardship 34%
Challenging Assignments 27%
Mentoring Relationships 22%
Structured Training & Assessments 17%
Once you identify your high potential leaders, your challenge is to provide them with opportunities to navigate this developmental journey. One such opportunity is our Milestone program, considered our flagship individual leadership development program. During this 3½ day journey, participants complete three in-depth leadership assessments, engage one-on-one with one of our executive coaches to review their assessments and gain ideas for growth and development, learn from several highly successful leaders such as Don Soderquist, network with other high potential leaders from various backgrounds, engage in challenging experiences, and focus on building a vision for their influence and impact as a leader. Visit our website for dates and additional information on this invaluable learning experience.
thawk@jbu.edu
 SODERQUIST FELLOWS MAKING AN IMPACT
by Ray Malouf
Imagine the opportunity to play an integral role in an organization that focuses on creating transformation and sustainable change. Now, envision the possibility to invest two years of your life earning a Master’s degree at John Brown University, while working alongside some of the most-well known leaders in the country. This is the experience of a Soderquist Fellow at Soderquist Center for Leadership & Ethics.
The Soderquist Fellowship is for select applicants who demonstrate extraordinary leadership potential as well as academic excellence. Intelligent and passionate, these students have a proven record of accomplishment. Selection as a Soderquist Fellow is an honor that provides a full tuition scholarship to John Brown University and a paid staff position at the Soderquist Center as a project coordinator.
Soderquist Fellows are not your typical graduate students. Although these students are pursing the same graduate degree as their peers, they are determined to make an impact and leave a legacy for generations to come. They have decided there is no limit to what they can do, or where they can go. They are literally touching the world.
 Leah Miller, a first-year student pursuing a Master of Science in Leadership & Ethics with a Higher Education emphasis, is getting ready to make her second trip to Ethiopia. On her first trip, she was a part of a collaborative effort to train and develop the staff at Glenn C. Olsen Memorial Hospital, founded by Project Mercy, a non-profit community development agency. Her experience impacted her so deeply that she is preparing to make another trip this summer. Along with Steve Beers of John Brown University, Leah Miller will co-lead ten undergraduate students who will work in a rural school and hospital, which are also part of the Project Mercy organization. Additionally, Leah plans to speak to a group of political and business leaders from several African countries to propose an Ethiopian Business Summit, similar to the one the Soderquist Center hosted in Guatemala, in 2005.
 Another Soderquist Fellow who is touching the world is Jason Pollack, a second-year Master of Business Administration student. Over the past several years, Jason has had the opportunity to work at Camp Barnabas, a non-denominational Christian summer camp where children with special needs experience an awesome, life-changing week of camp. Jason, and his wife Sarah, have a special interest in working with children with disabilities. Their desire to help others is taking them to Bethlehem, to serve as house parents at a group home for children with disabilities. They will begin their journey in August, and will live in one of the most dangerous areas in the world for the better part of a year.
Leah and Jason are two of the nine Soderquist Fellows that are changing lives. Six of the nine Soderquist Fellows are graduating this May with a Master’s degree in Business Administration or Leadership and Ethics.
Learn more about the Soderquist Fellowship program: www.soderquist.org/sf
Learn more about Graduate Programs at John Brown University: www.jbu.edu/grad
maloufr@jbu.edu
CENTER HIRES NEW MARKETING MANAGER
The Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics has hired Holly Byars as its marketing manager. She will be responsible for marketing planning and strategy, advertising, and public relations.
 Byars, previously a marketing officer for Arvest Bank in Siloam Springs, is a graduate of Arkansas State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in radio and television news. She also received her Juris Doctorate in Law from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
A native of Jonesboro, Ark., Byars now lives in Siloam Springs with her husband Carey, assistant professor of broadcasting at John Brown University and son, Ethan. She is a member of First United Methodist Church in Siloam Springs, the Siloam Springs Memorial Hospital Foundation Board and is a graduate of the 2004 Leadership Benton County Program.
“Holly brings a breadth of experience in marketing and public relations to the Soderquist Center,” said Director of Leadership Development, Wendy Soderquist. “Her ability to create a strategic advertising and marketing development process will be a significant asset to our organization."
hbyars@jbu.edu
SPRINGDALE POLICE DEPARTMENT EXPERIENCES FlashPoint
by Jason Pollack
One dozen of Springdale’s finest spent an entire day traversing logs, balancing on narrow beams, and climbing to heights of up to 50 feet in the air. This was not just another day on the job. Instead, it was a dynamic team development experience developed and executed by the Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics. The event was an example of a program called FlashPoint, held at BaseCamp on the campus of John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.
 Captain Laney Morris, of the Springdale Police Department, said FlashPoint has helped to improve relationships among those who participated in the experience and has had a positive impact on their work environment and resulted in “exposure to new ideas, new ways of doing business, and a new organization and structure.”
Developed by Gary Swyers and Chuck Hyde for teams between 10-30 people, FlashPoint brings teams to the point at which its member’s individual abilities ignite within the team, propelling the team toward their objectives.
According to Gary Swyers, Director of Experiential Learning, FlashPoint is “an excellent opportunity for teams to get involved with the Soderquist Center for the first time. It powerfully demonstrates the ability of experiential learning to enhance performance and improve results.”
To learn more about FlashPoint and how it can enhance your team’s performance, please contact Chuck Hyde, Customer Relations Manager, at chyde@jbu.edu or toll-free at 1.866.752.7180 extension 8652.
pollackj@jbu.edu
DON SODERQUIST AUTHORS BOOK ON LEADERSHIP AND ETHICS
Don Soderquist, Executive in Residence and businessman for whom the Soderquist Center is named, released his book entitled to Make a Difference in March 2006.  The book focuses on learning to lead and the significance of integrity and ethics. Crafted from his life experiences, Don reflects on the methods, skills, and most importantly, the values that helped build Wal-Mart into the industry leader that it is today.
Of the book's message, Don says, "In order to lead effectively, a person must first know how to live to make a difference in their own life, learn how to make a difference in other people's lives, and most importantly lead to make a difference through ethics and integrity that exemplify God's highest and best."
LIVE LEARN LEAD is published by J. Countryman.
Buy at amazon.com
Buy at walmart.com
SODERQUIST CENTER HOSTS LEADERSHIP WEEK
by Emma Kalka - Emma is a Junior at John Brown University majoring in Journalism
The Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics hosted its annual Leadership Week February 20th - 24th at John Brown University.
"The mission of the Soderquist Center is to equip people with the transforming power of ethical leadership," said Wendy Soderquist, Director of Leadership Development for the Soderquist Center. Soderquist said that Leadership Week is a time to identify some of the voices that speak on this.
“Two thousand books on leadership have been written in the last three years,” she said. “A lot of people have something to say on leadership.”
Tony Hawk, director of business development for the Soderquist Center said Leadership Week is an opportunity to expose students to leaders.
Dennis Bakke and Susan Barrett spoke in chapel as part of the week.
 Bakke, author of “Joy at Work” spoke in chapel to students and at a luncheon afterwards for northwest Arkansas customers of the Soderquist Center. He also spoke to a group of undergraduate students in the Soderquist Business Center Tuesday afternoon.
 Barrett is the current president and CEO of Mercy Health System of Northwest Arkansas. She has worked in hospital administration since 1991. Barrett is an advisory board member for the Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics.
She spoke in chapel Thursday, February 23, about her personal journey. Her husband, Rex, also shared his reflections on Susan's journey in a luncheon at the Soderquist Business Center following chapel. Rex is the site manager for the Soderquist Center's Greystone Estate.
*This article originally appeared in John Brown University's Threefold Advocate
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