A Bold Agenda Propels CHL Into the Future
By Doug Conant, Board Chair, Center for Higher Ambition Leadership
The time is now.
Today more organizations than ever recognize that purpose and delivering stakeholder value is the path to creating organizations that last. The need for our work has never been greater, and we are taking bold steps to deliver on the full promise of our potential.
The Center for Higher Ambition Leadership is bolstering and accelerating the development of leadership capabilities that create both high-performing organizations and a better world -- for individuals, organizations, and for society.
The idea of simultaneously and synergistically creating economic and social value has always resonated deeply with me. When I was first introduced to Higher Ambition Leadership, I was serving as president and CEO of the Campbell Soup Company. Through my involvement with CHL during the past 10 years, I’ve personally experienced the magic that happens when this community of values-driven leaders comes together to learn with and from each other.
This week’s announcements usher CHL into an exciting second decade!
Record Industry Support, New CEO, and Powerful Programming Bring Greater Opportunities and Impact for Members
31 business and academic luminaries join our mission - We have strengthened, expanded, and diversified our board of directors, announcing four new members. We have created a Chair Advisory Council of world-class leaders who subscribe to our intentions and are committed to helping us lift our game. And we have assembled an impressive Academic Advisory Council of faculty advancing practice in the areas of organizational behavior, strategy, and innovation to help our members connect with the latest research and emerging trends.
Read the announcement of our new board members and advisors
Our new CEO brings experience and vision - Guiding us forward will be our talented new CEO, Jeannie Diefenderfer. She brings exceptional credentials to this role, spanning corporate executive leadership with Verizon, academic board service, and stewardship of purpose-driven nonprofits.
Read the announcement of our new CEO
We are building on a strong foundation of programs driven by member priorities - CHL helps member companies better deliver both high-performance and socially responsible business leadership day-in and day-out.
1. Leadership Development. We’ve extended our leadership development programming beyond our established executive and senior leader programs with flexible options and new programs to help mid-career leaders more effectively translate the desired organizational purpose into practice.
2. Organizational Performance: Our CEO, CHRO, and Operations Networks are vibrant and supportive communities of Higher Ambition leaders who share best practices and gain access to world-class thought leaders from the academic and business communities.
3. Social Impact: We are advancing specific initiatives to bring together corporate leaders and diverse stakeholders in cities and regions across the U.S. for targeted social impact. We have studied and assessed regional initiatives and identified and shared best practices across these communities. We have also developed a promising success model with the CEO Leadership Alliance in Orange County, California.
Higher Ambition organizations are finding ways to win in the workplace, win in the marketplace, win in the broader world with their communities, and win with integrity.
Now is the time for CEOs to lead. Our employees, our customers, and society are all looking to us to build a brighter future for all. Collectively we are helping create high-performing and human-centered workplaces that contribute to a more equitable society.
We see this work making the world a better place, and we are just getting started!
