Opening Seminar II.

USA Fellows joined us this morning at the Opening Seminar, and it was certainly a good thing... Their handicap however turned out to be in the absence of any time to meet before the Seminar, so they were very surprised about all the joking and teasing going around amongst the MNP Fellows... But it didn't last too long and they became a part of the group (almost, of course)...

A part of the morning program was a Speed-Dating-like workshop aimed to getting to know each other - which felt a bit strange between people who already spent two nights with each other (like with Mohammed or Maria), but as the questions for each speed-dating session were different it ended up like a very cool exercise plus we got to quickly meet the USA Fellows and learn at least a bit about them...

Afternoon started off with a leadership workshop facilitated by Dr. Michael Useem, Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Leadership and Change Management at Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (http://leadership.wharton.upenn.edu)... one of the best leadership workshops I've been to, with excellent examples from practice - at least the exercises with Lou Gerstner and Roy Vagelos (and maybe also the Angela Merkel, even though I don't believe she makes a good leader) I will have to bring to one of future BOOTCAMPs back home...

Generally, what could be the basic outcome from the workshop is that the most important points to be included in a checklist for leaders, sort of a Leadership Template, are the following:

• Vision and Strategy
• "Honor the Room"
• Confidence and Optimism
• Communicate your Character
• Give Message "so it sticks"

Michael also recommended us a couple of readings, out of which I like this one the most: Bill George, True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership (check it on Amazon)... I already bought it for my Kindle2...

In the evening we all gathered in La Viola West restaurant (just across the street from La Viola East - funny) for a reception, which (needless to say) was followed with drinks - with a very passionate discussion on regulation and economic crisis, its roots and ways out with two USA Fellows, Kevin and Michael...