DDI's Byham Tells Firms: Time is Ripe to `Grow Your Own Leaders'; Newest Book by Leadership Expert Reveals Why Acceleration Pools Will Be Crucial Tools for Businesses.

Business Editors

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 25, 2001

Companies don't need a green thumb to cultivate corporate leaders. In 2001, forward-looking corporations will nurture their leadership development programs, and the adoption of a breakthrough succession management strategy called Acceleration Pools will make leadership development more fruitful than ever.

So says William C. Byham, Chairman and CEO of Development Dimensions International, a global human resource consulting firm specializing in leadership development and selection systems design, and author of the new book Grow Your Own Leaders.

"This year will see a surge in leadership development because the economy has cooled off enough to give corporations some breathing room to deal with long-term issues," Byham said. "Plus, the current economic turmoil is exposing leadership failures across the economy. In light of those failures, corporations are waking up to the reality that they have not done enough to grow and retain talented leaders."

Leadership crisis

Organizations worldwide are facing a shortage of quality leaders at both the executive and general management levels for a wide variety of reasons, including rapid growth, a surge in retirements and increased turnover. Surveys

by DDI and Corporate Leadership Council (CLC) showed that about three-fourths of companies worldwide are not confident in their capability to effectively staff strategic leadership positions over the next five years. The CLC study showed that many executives were held back by a lack of experience in crucial areas. For instance, two-thirds of executives lacked experience leading a new business, a vital skill in a rapidly changing global economy. The results of the failure to develop new leaders are apparent. One survey (by Manchester Consulting) showed that four out of 10 senior executives fail within the first 18 months on the job.

Succession planning

Grow Your Own Leaders has an answer: improved succession management. "Succession management isn't just about a successor for the CEO. It's about building leadership `bench strength' across an entire organization," Byham said. "It's a myth that all leaders are `born, not made.' Many key leadership skills can be learned. And even natural-born leaders can improve their skills - with the latest and best development."

Effective succession management that focuses on internal candidates makes the process of filling positions more accurate and cost-effective. Effective succession management not only grows talent but also retains it by providing high-potential people with exciting new challenges and demonstrating to them that their best chance of success lies within the corporation. Finally, good succession management programs help focus leadership development efforts and resources on those who will benefit most.

Acceleration Pools

Succession management plans crafted for the slow-moving corporate hierarchy of the 1950s just won't work in today's rapidly changing business world and dynamic companies. Succession management for the 21st Century requires what Grow Your Own Leaders calls "Acceleration Pools."

Acceleration Pools are a systematic method for identifying and developing high-potential people for targeted levels of management, rather than for specific jobs. In contrast to older programs, which often were available only to new grads or people with only a few years of experience, acceleration pools are open to "late bloomers" or leaders who join a company in mid-career. As the name implies, these pools accelerate the development of high-potential people through stretch jobs and task force assignments that offer the best learning and the best opportunities for displaying abilities.

Highlights, innovations

Grow Your Own Leaders also highlights:

-- 10 succession management traps that CEOs step into

-- 7 specific steps a CEO must take to help a succession management program
succeed

-- 17 reasons succession management plans fail

-- 15 new ideas for improving leadership development

The book features several innovations to help readers. World Wide Web addresses for additional information are included in the text. Gray pages highlight key points for business CEOs who must focus their reading.

About DDI

Since 1970, DDI has helped thousands of organizations achieve superior business performance through selecting, developing and retaining extraordinary people.

DDI's two major areas of expertise include:

-- Helping companies find and hire better people faster.

-- Building leadership capacity and capability, enabling

organizations to meet their current and emerging business

needs.

DDI's innovative solutions, including Web-based technologies, are customized to the needs of each client by a team of 1,000 experienced associates in 70 locations around the world. For more information about DDI, visit www.ddiworld.com.

Available for interviews: William C. Byham, Ph.D., CEO and Chairman, DDI

To schedule an interview contact: Paige Pertz at [phone] or [e-mail].

This press release is available electronically at www.ddiworld.com and at www.jackhorner.com.