Leadership Development

Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP)

June 4th-8th, 2023

Sponsored By:

PepsiCo

 

Implementing organizational and cultural changes in order to execute new strategies are imperative skills for effective leaders in the dynamic and ever-changing independent food industry. The NGA Foundation Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP) is designed to develop and prepare leaders to face business challenges in the 21st-century marketplace.

The conference is a high-impact learning opportunity encompassing intense, interactive instruction presented by a mix of respected academics and industry leaders.

NGAF's Executive Leadership Development Program is currently reserved for employees of retailer and wholesaler members of NGA. 
Nominations for 2022 ELDP are currently closed, but please fill out the form below to be the first notified when 2023 nominations are being accepted. 

    Please notify me when 2022 ELDP Nomination information is available.

    Diversity in Leadership Scholarship

    The NGA Foundation, with the generous support of PepsiCo, is committed to ensuring women and minority candidates in the independent grocery industry have equal opportunities to receive quality leadership training. Each year, one nominee will be selected to receive free registration to NGAF’s Executive Leadership Development Program at Cornell University as well as a travel stipend to attend the program.

    Nominees should be a woman or a person of color. Current mid to upper-level executives with large spans of control and responsibilities that require delegation of tasks to others. These employees must be rising executives who are candidates for increased “people” and general management responsibilities.

    Second-generation Family Grocer Wins NGA Foundation’s First Diversity in Leadership Scholarship

    Invest in Your Company’s Future

    ELDP Classroom photo
    Outstanding leaders create a vision for others and have the ability to translate it into a lasting reality. Initiating and implementing organizational and cultural changes in order to execute new strategies are imperative skills for effective leaders. The NGA Executive Leadership Development Program helps retailers and wholesalers develop leaders from within their organizations who can respond to business challenges in the 21st century marketplace.
    This industry-specific executive development program includes:
    • Four days of interactive, intensive instruction on the campus of Cornell University
    • A faculty mix of respected academic and grocery industry leaders
    • Time to network with other rising grocery executives
    • An in-depth personalized 360 degree assessment of the participant’s personal leadership style and develop an action plan to improve

    Who Should Attend

    Current mid to upper-level executives with large spans of control and responsibilities that require delegation of tasks to others. These employees must be rising executives who are candidates for increased “people” and general management responsibilities.

    Program Topics

    LEADERSHIP THEORY AND PRACTICE
    The four basic paradigms of leaderships are examined and discussed. Success and derailment is explored within the context of career transition.

    LEADERSHIP ASSESSMENTS
    The importance of feedback is explored and specific feedback instruments (Firo-B and Benchmarks) are introduced and discussed.

    ONE-ON-ONE COACHING
    Trained coaches answer questions regarding the Firo-B and Benchmarks 360 assessments.

    LEADERSHIP VS. MANAGEMENT
    The critical differences between Management and Leadership are detailed and discussed and the consequences of imbalance are highlighted.

    LEVERAGING HUMAN ASSETS
    A case study format is employed to explore the method leaders use to build followership strategies and leverage the human assets in their organizations.

    RECONNECTING WITH STRATEGY
    The link between leadership and strategy is discussed and the importance of strategy in adapting to a changing environment is emphasized. The critical differences between an executional focus vs. a strategic focus are explored.

    LEADERSHIP CASE STUDY
    An interactive case study is employed to refine participants’ thinking about personal leadership style.

    GROUP THINK EXERCISE
    The critical dangers of Group Think in entrepreneurial organizations are the focus of an interactive group exercise. Concrete strategies for organizational decision making and the avoidance of Group Think are presented.

    DEVELOPMENT ACTION PLANNING
    Participants are encouraged to “connect the dots” and begin definitive steps toward the development of a personal leadership skill development plan.