Harvard Business Review Guides Ultimate Boxed Set (16 Books)

CHAPTER 30

Leadership Summits That Work

by Bob Frisch and Cary Greene

Every year, in virtually all large and midsize companies, high-level leaders come together for a leadership summit. These events usually last two to four days and can rack up millions of dollars in costs: airfare and accommodations for the 50 to 500 or so attendees, fees for outside speakers, production expenses, the many person days that go into planning, and the enormous opportunity cost incurred by taking so many top managers away from their normal duties for several days.

When executed well, these meetings are certainly worth the time and expense. They can serve as a powerful catalyst to align leaders, develop solutions to problems, introduce new strategies, and fuel collaboration ...