Leadership training.

With a pending merger between Duke Energy and Cinergy, Duke Energy's Group Vice President Theopolis Holman sought insight on how to unite the two organizations successfully with a new leadership team.

"Mergers can test the best management," says Holman, an executive with 34 years in the energy industry.

To prepare for the transition, Holman, who oversees a division of 9,000 employees and service contractors, participated in the Executive Leadership Council Institute's professional development course, Getting to the Top and Staying There. He says the intensive, two-day program explored how black executives can implement current business imperatives. The program paid particular attention to the areas of communication, project management, and collaboration as opportunities for sustaining leadership.

Holman says that the course increased his confidence in the face of the large-scale merger and helped him sharpen his focus on the following leadership priorities to create a world-class business unit:

Acknowledge that people are your most valuable asset. Holman makes an effort to know his team both professionally and personally by scheduling time to talk with them and by directly interacting with them on work assignments.

Measure results. Holman now measures every aspect of his division's business. He has implemented processes to capture results that include how much money and time a project saved as well as a project's return on investment.

Ask for help. Holman says he frequently holds focus groups and creates task forces to solicit feedback and input from other professionals.

For more information about executive education courses offered at the Executive Leadership Council Institute, visit www.elcinfo.com.