Dr Howard Edward Haller Presents at ILA Conference "Adversity and Obstacles in the Shaping of Prominent Leaders" on November 3, 2006

Dr Howard Edward Haller will present at the International Leadership Association Conference "Adversity and Obstacles in the Shaping of Prominent Leaders" on November 3, 2006. This presentation is based on the Dr. Haller's doctoral dissertation in Leadership Studies research findings. The qualitative study investigated the possible relationship or impacts that adversities, obstacles, and a challenges had on the shaping and development of prominent leaders, and it was peer debriefed by Dr Ken Blanchard, Dr John Kotter, Jim Kouzes, Dr Paul Stoltz and Dr Meg Wheatley.

(PRWEB) October 14, 2006 -- Dr Howard Edward Haller will present at the International Leadership Association Conference "Adversity and Obstacles in the Shaping of Prominent Leaders" on November 3, 2006.

This presentation is based on the Haller's doctoral dissertation in Leadership Studies research findings. The qualitative study investigated the possible relationship or impacts that adversity, obstacles, and a challenge had on the shaping and development of prominent leaders, and it was peer debriefed by Blanchard, Kotter, Kouzes, Stoltz and Wheatley.

Haller's dissertation was a qualitative study, using hermeneutic phenomenological [peronally interviewing individuals based on their lived experience with the phenomenon being studied, was conducted to investigate the possible relationship or impact that adversity, obstacles, and challenges had on the shaping and development of prominent leaders. The selection of my findings presented in this paper were reviewed and commented upon through substantive peer debriefing of my doctoral research findings by several leading leadership scholars including Dr. Ken Blanchard, Jim Kouzes, Dr. John Kotter, Dr. Paul Stoltz, and Dr. Meg Wheatley.

Haller interviewed sixteen prominent leaders included two current U.S. Senators Orrin Hatch and Daniel Inouye, a retired U.S. Army Special Forces Major General Sid Shachnow, a President of a large educational foundation who previously was chancellor of one large university and president of another Dr Blenda Wilson, four well-known authors and motivational speakers Zig Ziglar, Mark Victor Hansen, Jack Canfield, Nido Qubein,and the Chairman and Chief Executives Officers of major companies, including several Fortune 500 CEO's such as: Angelo Mozilo, Dr John Malone, Dr John Bonanzino, J. Terrence Lanni, Dr John Speling, Monzer Hournai, Larry Pino and William Draper III.

The prominent leader participants, prior to becoming prominent leaders, experienced various degrees of adversity in their youth and adult lives. These difficult experiences included being a Holocaust victim and being interned in a Nazi concentration camp at age 7; seeing his mother killed in front of him at age 14; two tours of duty in U.S. Special Forces in Vietnam; losing a right arm in battle in World War II; the premature death of a parent; discrimination including racial, gender, or age; death of a business partner; death of a parent; going broke in businesses; take-over attempts of his business; losing an election; personal relationship strife or divorce; coping with dysfunctional and deceitful regulators; being investigated by regulatory and legislatures who had their own political agendas; extreme poverty; and other significant or tragic adversities.

Haller will present several themes that became apparent during the interviews and in the explication of the data, including the following observations based on the opinions and input from the participants retrospective view of their lives: (a) early adversity in their youth, while important, was not the most important or seminal event in their lives; (b) obstacles and adversity were perceived as challenges which could be turned into opportunities; (c) facing adversity and successfully overcoming obstacles was important in their progression and growth as leaders. The findings in this paper will provide insight from a group of leaders from business, politics, military, and education the basis of discussions and dialog for leadership trainers and educators which will be a foundation to stimulate discussions.

Bio: Dr. Howard Edward Haller is the Chief Enlightenment Officer of the Coeur d'Alene, Idaho based The Leadership Success Institute. His doctoral dissertation, for his Ph.D. in Leadership Studies from Gonzaga University, included interviews with a number of prominent US leaders in business, political and educational contexts. Dr. Haller's dissertation explored the overcoming of adversities and obstacles in the leadership development process of nine prominent leaders; however his research was expanded to include a total of over fifteen prominent leaders. He has over 30 years of proven successful business leadership experience, including over 20 years as a senior vice president, managing director or CEO of large major companies.

Here is the ILA Conference url for Dr Haller:
http://www.ila-net.org/Conferences/Program3.asp?ProgramDBID=70

Contact:
Howard Edward Haller, Ph.D.
Chief Enlightenment Officer
The Leadership Success Institute
Office 509 465-9300
Direct 818 298-0000
www.TheLeaderInstitute.com
www.TheleadershipSuccessInstitute.com

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