Putting words into action - First Words - Brief Article

Chief Executive, The, May, 2002 by Bill Leigh

For more than 70 years, The Leigh Bureau has brought leading thinkers to serious audiences. But, wanting to expand the benefits that we as an innovative speakers bureau could offer, we created Leigh Advisory Services -- essentially, putting words into action.

A great orator will tell you how things ought to be, will inspire you, but cannot bring you actual profitable results. This premier issue of The Leigh Advisor aims to show you how to take that step. In our cover story, we talk with former Microsoft COO Bob Herbold about how executive leadership can instill discipline while effectively retaining the creative culture that built the company in the first place. Honeywell CEO Larry Bossidy elaborates on that theme in "Execution as Attitude," as he describes how Honeywell was transformed by merging operating mechanisms with human behavior.

If these pieces seem to emphasize the hard side of business, consider our profile of Lance Secretan and the Secretan Center, which details the former Manpower CEO's program to help people reach their destiny, calling, and cause as they create sustainable growth for their organizations. Other features provide insights you can reflect on -- Kevin Phillips' thoughts on the changed role of wealth, Patrick Dixon's multifaceted view of the world, Nicholas Negroponte's vision for the future of telecommunications, and more.

We hope that The Leigh Advisor will continue to offer ideas early enough that they can lead you, our reader, to effective actions.

BILL LEIGH

W. COLSTON LEIGH, INC. ADVISORY SERVICES LLC