Linkage’s Global Institute for Leadership Development (GILD) 2019 is Just Days Away!

All of us at Linkage are hard at work preparing to welcome more than 300 leaders to Palm Desert in just a few days for the 24th annual Global Institute for Leadership Development (GILD)^®.

So many incredible leaders –10,000 alumni! – have attended this transformative leadership development experience. I am continually touched by the stories of impact I hear from leaders like you who dedicate this time to refresh and revitalize their own leadership journeys. 

This year will be my second GILD as CEO of Linkage, and I’m looking forward to immersing myself once again in this deep development experience, and discovering  what I can do differently to continue to improve as a leader.

For more than two decades, leaders have convened at GILD each year to focus on what it means to be an effective, Purposeful Leader who can drive impact while inspiring and engaging teams, organizations, and communities.

Our research, based on more than 30 years of working with leaders worldwide, revealed a practical and simple framework that is the basis for the GILD experience today. What we found is this: The most effective leaders align their personal purpose to the organizational direction and make five commitments to their stakeholders  To inspire, engage, innovate, achieve and become.

And the results speak volumes: Companies operating with  Purposeful Leaders leaders enjoy 2x revenue growth, 4x profit growth and 9x employee engagement.

GILD attendees experience the Purposeful Leadership^® commitments firsthand through a combination of a 360° assessment, one-on-one coaching, daily small group discussion, and plenary sessions with thought leaders, authors, and business leaders from around the world—all in one place over the course of a week. This is not your average leadership conference!

Here is my advice to every leader joining us at GILD next week: Get a little uncomfortable.  It takes openness and courage to explore what could make you an even more effective leader.  But ultimately, it’s   this discomfort that helps us grow as individuals and as leaders—and enables us collectively to create positive change in a world calling out for strong leaders.

Speaking of strong leaders, last week we announced the winner of the 2019 Warren Bennis Award and she is incredible. Lina Hidalgo, in an upset election, became the first woman and the first Latina elected as the county judge for Harris County, the third-most populous county in the country, and the largest in Texas. She’s a trailblazer, a change maker–and a Purposeful Leader.

We can all learn from Lina, which is one of the reasons I’m so excited to celebrate leaders like her at GILD next week.

If you can’t be with us in Palm Desert, I invite you to follow the #LinkageGILD action live on social media–the first step is to follow us on Twitter (@LinkageInc) or Instagram (@Linkage.Inc).

Safe travels and I hope to see you in the Desert!