Benefiting at work from Brain Based Insights

In a  Globe and Mail story yesterday, Michael Hartmann from the University of Toronto --  shows strong encouragement for more directors and board level training. Sounds like a great idea at first glance, and it appears that support is strong.

The Institute of Corporate Directors or ICD … which helps corporate leaders in Canada, to enhance their skills, suggested that directors’ education should promote 16 core competencies “for directors to be considered effective in their roles.” 

How many do you see in leaders at your firm?

1. Knowledge of a specific industry, company and its executive team
2. Knowledge of the board and its role
3. Financial acumen
4. Group decision-making orientation
5. Process orientation
6. Conceptual thinking skills
7. Open-minded information seeking skills
8. Ambiguity tolerance
9. Effective judgment
10. Effective judgment
11. Integrity
12. Self-awareness
13. Bias to learn
14. orientation to resolve conflict
15. Effective communication and listening skills
16. Influence and impact skills

My question is, How will these 16 competencies be taught so that the director’s firm sees concrete results in the bottom line. The ICD feels that these competencies would help directors ensure positive results for their organizations. Do you agree?

There appears to be a window where leaders are more willing to engage in what I call smart skills, which can bring mind-bending profitability.  For  directors to meet the multitude of new tasks in a constantly changing marketplace, though,  practices for these competencies would have to convince the company that corporate governance courses gave real results.

I suggest a survey and then brain strategies applied for higher results? What do you suggest?