Enterprise Ireland
Annual Report and Accounts 2006
Annual Report and Accounts 2006
Enterprise Ireland's Leadership 4 Growth programme, which offers Irish high-growth company CEOs a breakthrough opportunity to enhance their ambition, mindset and world class leadership capabilities was launched in October 2006.
An initial tranche of 31 ambitious CEOs from leading Irish software, services and technology companies started the first Leadership 4 Growth programme in October.
Developed by Enterprise Ireland in association with the Irish Software Association, the world-renowned Stanford Graduate School of Business is delivering the prestigious programme in the US and Ireland.
Leadership 4 Growth is quite distinct from other leadership programmes in both delivery and content. It focuses on developing the leadership ambition, mindset and capability of participants, to help them create companies that achieve scale and dominant positions in their chosen markets.
Its overall objectives are to achieve tangible growth and business improvements for Enterprise Ireland clients through enhancing CEO-level leadership and strategic capabilities, thereby creating fundamental change in the indigenous software and technology sector in Ireland.
Stanford faculty members with unparalleled experience in the leadership, software and technology fields lead the modules. Between modules the CEOs participate in one-on-one coaching and attend monthly group sessions aimed at supporting the execution of their newly-defined leadership and business strategy plans.
Participant Tony McGuire, CEO of Dublin-based System Dynamics, says:
"Access to this programme with these guys at Stanford has been a complete revelation. It has changed very dramatically my own ambition and that of our whole management team."
"Not only has it given us the inspiration to think immense business ideas, but it has also provided us with the road map to implement them and to go on to be a significant company."
"But the real payback so far is that System Dynamics is talking a new language of leadership. We are currently experiencing 50 per cent increase in business from this time last year and our new ideas of leadership mean that we know how to manage and lead this strong growth."
Professor George Foster, Programme Faculty Director at Stanford Graduate School of Business says:
"This certainly is a landmark venture bringing together key players from business and academia to fast-track the growth of Irish software companies. We at Stanford are delighted to be a part of such an important initiative for the Irish economy and its software industry."
The first programme runs until September 2007.
