Leaders As Teachers ─ Unlock the Teaching Potential of Your Company's Best and Brightest

Most business professionals understand the value of connecting their top leaders to other established and high potential leaders in the organization. Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), a $6.5 billion medical technology company with 28,000 employees, believes its leaders should make this vital connection in a unique and highly effective way – through teaching. Leaders as Teachers chronicles BD's 8-year journey to create and deploy a leadership development program that relies on all top leaders (even its CEO) to train other leaders. The initiative, led by author Edward Betof , BD's vice president and chief learning officer, has produced dramatic results, including measurable business results, a stronger and more supportive learning environment, improved communications and strengthened organizational culture, a more adaptive and change-receptive leadership team, and direct cost savings for the organization.

In addition to its compelling story of change, Leaders as Teachers offers a roadmap for other organization wishing to implement and benefit from BD's experience. This complete roadmap includes detailed advice on how to introduce the leaders as teachers program and advice on how to overcome resistance to change; how to select, recruit, and train new leaders for the program; and how to evaluate the effectiveness of a fully functioning program. The book provides all the necessary tools, including detailed plans, worksheets, exercises, complete sample training outlines, and extra materials that speed the transition to leaders as teachers and take full advantage of BD's extensive experience. Dozens of sidebars throughout the book present the participation experiences of BD's leaders at all levels, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and personal testimonials of those who have benefited from participation in the leaders as teacher program.

Ed Betof, EdD, is a senior fellow in human capital, at The Conference Board (TCB). He is also the program director for TCB's Executive Council on Talent and Organization Development and the coach/facilitator for TCB's Global Executive Council. He was a co-developer of the pioneering TCB/NASA leadership experience based on NASA's Apollo program. Ed is president of Betof Associates, a consulting firm specializing in executive coaching, leadership, and career development. Ed is an adjunct executive and team coach for the Center for Creative Leadership. He has been a faculty member with the Institute for Management Studies since 2008. Ed was a founding senior fellow and an academic director of Penn's chief learning officer doctoral program. After nearly a 40 year corporate and educational leadership career, Ed retired in December 2007 from BD (Becton, Dickinson, and Company) a global medical technology and human diagnostics company where he was the worldwide vice president of talent management and chief learning officer. Ed was an ASTD Board member from 2004 to 2007. During this period, he also chaired the executive committee of TCB's Council on Learning, Development and Organizational Performance. He has served on Pennsylvania State University's Outreach Advisory Board since 2008. Ed is the author of Leaders as Teachers: Unlock the Teaching Potential of Your Company's Best and Brightest (2009) and co-author of Just Promoted: A 12 Month Roadmap for Success in Your New Leadership Role (1992, 2010). Ed has authored or co-authored several dozen articles, manuals, and guides. Ed received his doctorate from Temple University in 1976.