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January 17, 2021 | by MSCI Staff

MSCI’s Battle Tested Leadership Principles Goes Virtual

The Metals Service Center Institute (MSCI) is excited to bring our Battle Tested Leadership Principles for Metals Executives into a virtual format suitable for a COVID-19 world. Classes begin February 24, 2021 and will take place over five weeks. MSCI’s partner, Thayer Leadership, has developed exceptional virtual learning platforms and has created engaging live sessions and experiential exercises that are tailored to the industrial metals sector. The virtual program is less expensive and requires no time out of the office, but is just as effective at building leaders.

Thayer has been providing virtual executive leadership classes and programs since early on in the pandemic. The program’s live learning experiences will immerse participants in compelling, poignant conversations with expert battle- and boardroom-tested faculty. A recent group was tasked with restoring communications to the International Space Station.

Thayer and MSCI will use an interactive platform that will combine asynchronous online pre-work that participants will complete independently with live, virtual experiential learning. The mission of the virtual program is the same as the in-person offering that MSCI members know well: to give participants the opportunity to learn how to lead effective teams, build trust, collaborate, and create new leaders.

As part of the virtual Battle Tested Leadership Principles for Metals Executives program, participants will:

  • Develop the skills necessary to operate in uncertain, complex, rapidly changing environments;
  • Make decisions with incomplete information and effectively manage risk;
  • Communicate intent and ensure alignment throughout an organization; and
  • Become a trusted leader who creates new leaders, not followers.

This video provides a preview of how the virtual platform will work.

The five-week session that will start in February will be led by the same faculty as MSCI’s in-person Battle Tested Leadership program, including Major General (ret.) Malcolm Frost, Colonel (ret.) Dr. Donna Brazil, and Lieutenant Colonel (ret.) Sande Schlesinger.

Frost served in numerous combat, strategic and operational leadership, command, and operations director positions throughout the world. An expert in leader development, change management, operational planning, risk management, organizational development, team building, and strategic and crisis communications, Frost earned numerous military awards, including two Distinguished Service medals, three Bronze Star Medals, the Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal for valor, and Combat Infantryman Badge. He also earned the U.S. Department of State Meritorious Honor Award for reconstruction, civic, and humanitarian achievements while serving in Iraq.

Brazil retired from the United States Army as a colonel with more than 31 years of leadership experience. She served in wide variety of leadership roles, including director of Leadership and Psychology Programs at the United States Military Academy (USMA) and Deputy Head of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at USMA. Now a certified professional coach, Brazil has worked with leaders at all organizational levels to become more self-aware, work toward sustainable change, and improve their personal and professional effectiveness. As part of her practice, she collaborated with the Los Angeles police department and the New Jersey Chiefs of Police to design a Command and Leadership course for their officers.

Schlesinger has been a member of Thayer Leadership’s experiential programs team since 2012, applying leadership principles in exciting, unique, and challenging training environments. He honed his leadership and training skills during a 20-year career as a U.S. Army Infantry Officer. Schlesinger was selected for the U.S. Army’s elite Foreign Area Officer program where he received extensive training in Chinese language and culture. He later was hand-picked to serve as the U.S. Army attaché to the United States Consulate in Hong Kong where he cultivated a cooperative security relationship between elements of the U.S. Pacific Command and Hong Kong’s British-trained counterterrorism forces.

“Our 2021 online offerings are a great opportunity to have employees benefit from dynamic, interactive leadership development experiences taught by the same renowned faculty at significantly reduced costs,” said MSCI President and CEO Bob Weidner. “Companies who have had teams attend at West Point now have the opportunity to affordably bring the benefits of this program deeper into their organization.”

After participating in a previous session of Battle-Tested Leadership Principles, the president of Worthington Steel Processing noted the program provided “Excellent leadership theory and practice. Good exercises to reinforce theory. Great mix of quality instructors and attendees. … I am very proud of the US Army and the military academy! Living a small part of the culture was awesome.”

We hope you will join other top industrial metals sector executives for this unique and exciting leadership journey, which is offered to MSCI members for just $2,995. Register here and learn more here.

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