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Author Chaleff speaks of leadership

Author Ira Chaleff spoke on his book "The Courageous Follower: Standing Up To and For Our Leaders" Monday in the University of La Verne's La Fetra Hall. His book emphasizes the importance of followers to their respective leaders and attempts to dispel the misconception that being a follower is negative. / photo by Adam Omernik
Author Ira Chaleff spoke on his book “The Courageous Follower: Standing Up To and For Our Leaders” Monday in the University of La Verne’s La Fetra Hall. His book emphasizes the importance of followers to their respective leaders and attempts to dispel the misconception that being a follower is negative. / photo by Adam Omernik

by Gloria Flores
Staff Writer

Ira Chaleff, author of “The Courageous Follower: Standing up to and for our Leaders,” spoke Monday at the eighth annual Author Event sponsored by the School of Organizational Leadership in the University of La Verne’s La Fetra Auditorium.

Chaleff, author and president of Executive Coaching and Consulting Associates in Washington D.C., discussed the second edition of the book which according to publicity manager Ken Lupoff, directly addresses the failure of corporate ethics and governmental responsibility.

“We counted more than 120 people in attendance, which is a new all-time high for these activities,” said Carol Sawyer, organizational leadership program chair.

Many on and off campus business management students, including Bill Terry, arrived with personal copies of the book for the book signing after the talk.

“This book helped me realize when and how to speak up,” Terry said. “It gave me the courage to go back and talk to one of my former managers about what I thought he was doing wrong, and he accepted my criticism.”

Since publishing the book, Chaleff has been invited to speak and conduct workshops on “leader-follower” dynamics.

Before beginning his discussion, Chaleff credited his appearance at ULV to Sawyer’s leadership and persistence.

Chaleff, who lives in the greater Washington D.C. area, teaches organizational and political leadership at the American University.

He received his bachelor’s degree in applied behavioral science at the National College of Education at Evanston, Ill.

Chaleff is a member of the American Society of Association Executives and has been named a Fellow by the British Institute of Management.

He served as special assistant to more than two dozen U.S. senators and representatives, analyzing their management styles, strategies, structures and processes.

Chaleff has also authored and edited several books and studies on management in political environments.

Chaleff has worked as a management consultant and executive coach for over 15 years. As a consultant, he conducts in-depth analysis of organizations’ strengths and weaknesses, facilitates strategy review and development.

As a coach, Chaleff provides support for executives to examine their management and interpersonal styles, conducting work climate surveys, which provide feedback. By designing appropriate individual or group interventions and on-going coaching support, he helps senior executives improve their group dynamics and operational effectiveness.

He is a founding partner of the Institute for Business Technology, IBT conducts its popular “Personal Efficiency Program” in 18 countries, providing seminars and coaching in work flow management for many Fortune 500 companies.

Prior to forming IBT U.S., Chaleff served as executive director of the Congressional Management Foundation, a non-profit organization which provides management training.

Chaleff’s book, “The Courageous Follower,” “has been quoted and included in lists everywhere from military leadership courses to church sermons to union meeting notices to corporate leadership programs,” Brenda Frink said in a review of the book.

The Detroit Free Press said the book instructs others how to be a leader.

“It shows how to be a courageous follower and how to be a leader who effectively listens to the courageous followers,” Frink said.

The next author event will be in April.

Gloria Flores
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