Business Education Forum: Are You an Influencer?
Ron McMillan
Featuring New York Times Best-Selling Author Ron McMillan
On January 23, 2008, nearly 300 people braved snowy roads and sub-zero temperatures to visit LFGSM and participate in a workshop that challenged them to improve their professional and personal effectiveness by harnessing their power to influence and “change anything.”
The workshop was facilitated by Ron McMillan, New York Times best-selling author of Crucial Conversations, Crucial Confrontations and, most recently, Influencer. The event was generously sponsored by The Trustmark Foundation, and hosted by the LFGSM Alumni Office.
“The Trustmark Foundation is proud to sponsor this Business Education Forum event, especially on the topic of how to affect positive change, both in business and in the community,” said Nancy Eckrich, chairperson of the Trustmark Foundation.
Titled “Influencer,” the event featured an interactive presentation, networking reception, and book signing. Guests learned how to identify behaviors that lead to rapid and profound change; how to change both thoughts and actions; and how to marshal six sources of influence to make change not only achievable and sustainable, but inevitable.
“After attending ‘Influencer,’ it became evident that I had just experienced a life-changing event!” said Valerie A. Cook, Lake Forest MBA Class of 2007 and Consultant/Diversity Generations Team Leader at Hewitt Associates. “Not only is Ron McMillan an engaging speaker, but I took away a practical application tool that I could begin to use immediately.”
McMillan and his co-authors Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, and Al Switzler traveled around the globe to learn how people influence each other. Their work presents the revolutionary skills of change makers, and incorporates five decades of peer-reviewed research.
The book, and McMillan’s presentation at LFGSM, offered insights about how seemingly “ordinary” people can influence the behavior of large groups in extraordinary ways. The examples that McMillan shared spanned the spectrum from business scenarios (like customer service at a hospital and productivity at a telecommunications company), to societal problems (like the eradication of the Guinea worm, preventing the spread of AIDS, and the elimination of medical mistakes), to personal situations (like parenting).
“Ron McMillan’s presentation struck a chord with all of us at LFGSM,” said Joan Steltmann, Vice President, Enterprise Advancement. “In our MBA program and in our corporate training programs, we often emphasize exactly what Influencer demonstrates - that true leadership and the ability to deliver results can stem from a relentless focus on just a few vital behaviors.”
“Influencer” was offered as part of a series of Business Education Forums sponsored by the Alumni Office at LFGSM. For more information about future events, contact Jennifer Eagar at 847.574.5252.