2012 Inc. Leadership Forum

Noon-7pm Legends Ballroom Foyer

In this highly engaging, relaxing setting you’ll have the opportunity to create meaningful connections with your entrepreneurial peers. Seasoned entrepreneurs and thought leaders you’ll see here at the Leadership Forum along with Inc. 5000 CEOs running our nation’s fastest-growing companies and Inc. editors will stop by to mingle and converse. The conversations promise to be provocative, enlightening, and centered on topics that affect leading your company in today’s business environment. Plus, the networking action will spill out of the room’s four walls and onto Twitter (#IncLeadership). You’ll also be given an attendee directory to keep up with your peers throughout the event and thereafter.

Opening Remarks: Paul Spiegelman, Inc. columnist; co-founder, the Small Giants Community; founder and chief executive, the Beryl Companies; author, Smile Guide: Employee Perspectives on Culture, Loyalty, and Profit

Eric Schurenberg, editor-in-chief, Inc.

Zumba Dance is a fusion of body-sculpting movements with easy-to-follow dance steps to the tune of Latin and international music. Open to all ages and abilities, the routine features aerobic/fitness interval training with a combination of fast and slow rhythms that tone and sculpt the body. Zumba uses the principles of fitness interval training and resistance training to maximize caloric output, fat burning, and total body toning. Space is limited; please sign up at registration.

Eric Schurenberg, editor in chief, Inc.

John Caplan is a versatile leader who’s achieved great success in a variety of businesses. Among his many accomplishments, he was the marketing genius behind the brand expansion of the online resource About.com. And he spearheaded the business makeover of the iconic Ford Models agency. In every situation, Caplan not only fits in, but also figures out just how to uncover problems, identify solutions, and obtain results. Leading change in a well-established company is a complex, high-pressure, sensitive mission. But Caplan did it. Today, he’s at the top of his game, breaking the rules and making new ones. In less than a year, OpenSky –– his personalized, social shopping site –– has achieved: $30 million in raised capital; 80 industry influencers, celebrities, and tastemakers (to help curate products); and more than one million dedicated members. Learn how to uncover the common (and uncommon) characteristics that will defy and surpass existing business models… stimulate change at various stages… and give your company a whole new vitality and direction.

Speaker: John Caplan, founder and CEO, OpenSky; former CEO, Ford Models; former CMO, About.com

Since its inception in 2001, the Zumba® program has grown to become the world’s largest—and most successful—dance-fitness program. There are more than 12 million people (of all shapes,sizes, and ages) taking weekly Zumba classes in more than 110,000 locations across more than 125 countries. During this exclusive conversation, Inc. gives you an up-close-and-personal look at the people (and the thought processes) that make this hypersuccessful, Miami-based organization move. Find out how a Latin-inspired workout accidentally became a dynamic dance-fitness brand and business phenomenon. And learn how to keep your company on beat with change and in spite of challenges.

Speakers: Alberto Perlman, Alberto Aghion, and Beto Perez, co-founders, Zumba ^®

Companies must fascinate –– or fail. How can your company seize command of this powerful force of attraction? Using proprietary research, riveting case studies, and her ground-breaking book, Fascinate, Sally Hogshead reveals how the human brain is hardwired to focus on seven specific “triggers.” Learn what they are –– why the gray matter matters –– and how to harness attention using your natural strengths to instantly communicate your “personality brand.” You’ll discover numerous, practical ways individuals and brands can immediately become more persuasive. In a competitive market, the most fascinating option always wins. Start your business transformation here — with the fascination advantage.

Speaker: Sally Hogshead, founder and chief fascination officer, Fascinate Inc.; author, Fascinate: Your 7 Triggers to Persuasion and Captivation

Enjoy a delicious meal as you meet and mingle with your peers in an open, engaging environment.

Sally Hogshead

Whether you’re at the top or on the way, you know that, increasingly, much of your company’s success depends on asking the hard questions and making the tough calls. Whatever it is –– a personnel issue, a procedural tweak, or a major reorg –– you have to be ready to step back, objectively analyze the situation, and take decisive action. Ultimately, it’s at the core of what leadership is all about… and about who you are. As such, it’s the most challenging aspect of being a leader. Are you ready, willing and able to make your organization stronger by honestly reassessing your goals, vision, and priorities? There’s no magic potion or secret behind becoming a more effective leader. Success depends on having the courage and candor to face your biggest ally (and perhaps greatest antagonist): You. Learn how to do it effectively.

Speaker: Robert Steven Kaplan, professor, Harvard Business School; chairman, Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation; former vice chairman, Goldman Sachs; author, What to Ask the Person in the Mirror: Critical Questions for Becoming a More Effective Leader and Reaching Your Potential

As the leader of Clif Bar, Kevin Cleary has to juggle not one bottom line but five: business, brands, people, community, and planet. Each one is dependent on –– and interrelated with –– the others for optimum performance. By expanding the company’s view beyond simple profit-and-loss, Cleary has led his company to double-digit, compounded annual growth for more than a decade. Clif Bar has also remained at the forefront of sustainability and is routinely cited as one of the best places to work. Learn about Clif Bar & Company’s bottom-up (versus top-down) commitment… how this popular brand is driving social change in business through a variety of innovative business practices and sustainable initiatives… and how the company’s entrepreneurial efforts can help you reassess your own business practices.

Speaker: Kevin Cleary, president and chief operating officer, Clif Bar & Company

Robert Steven Kaplan

Speaker: Captain (ret.) Dawn Halfaker, founder, president and chief executive officer, Halfaker and Associates

Interviewer: Krissi Barr, founder and chief executive officer, Barr Corporate Success; co-author, Plugged

Think of hyper-growth companies, and industry leaders like Zappos, Groupon, and Facebook come to mind. What do these outstanding organizations have in common, beyond the fact that they’ve all leveraged the power of the internet to the max? Their leaders often credit a culture of innovation as the primary driver of their success. But innovation doesn’t just happen. You have to make it a priority. Encourage it. And make sure that everyone –– at every level of your organization –– feels free to engage in what some people call what-if thinking. Getting the most from your team is crucial for breakaway business growth and success. In this eye-opening session, you’ll be given the tools you need to build a creative culture that inspires innovative ideas. And discover how to unleash your organization’s most powerful natural asset: human creativity.

Speaker: Josh Linkner, managing partner and CEO, Detroit Venture Partners; author, Disciplined Dreaming: A Proven System to Drive Breakthrough Creativity

One of the nation’s most respected police chiefs, William J. Bratton is the only person to have led two of the largest police forces in the United States: the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). Wherever he has served –– as Chief of the New York City Transit Police, Boston Police Commissioner, New York City Police Commissioner or Chief of the LAPD –– Bratton has revitalized police morale and cut crime rates significantly. Having led thousands of law-enforcement officers (and with core leadership tenets that get results), Bratton has had a dramatic impact on both public safety and the relationship between the public and the police. How difficult is it to lead during times of strife and crisis… when most would maintain the status quo or even retreat? You’ll be inspired by Bratton’s take-charge, no-nonsense ideas, perseverance and drive. In every sense of the word, he is a man of conviction!

Speaker: William J. Bratton CBE, Chairman, Kroll; former Los Angeles Police Chief, New York Police Commissioner, and Boston Police Commissioner; author, Collaborate or Perish!: Reaching Across Boundaries in a Networked World

Josh Linkner & William J. Bratton

Charisma may get you in the front door, but unless you have the ability to actually deliver on your promise, you will be remembered more for your personality than your leadership. Do you know how to rally people to your side and build focus and consensus? How to keep them there and nurture their entrepreneurial instincts? How to build a strong, dynamic, loyal team of dedicated, innovative managers and implementers? How to create a “pool” of talented people who will be your company’s leaders of tomorrow? In this groundbreaking session, you’ll learn how to master the skills of political and managerial competence. Recognize the benefits of developing these capabilities in yourself. Foster the leadership potential of others. And create a more dynamic, proactive and energetic organization.

Speaker: Samuel B. Bacharach, professor, Cornell University’s ILR School; author, Get Them on Your Side; Keep Them on Your Side; and When Charisma and Vision Are Not Enough

Samuel B. Bacharach

TBA

Steve Cody, co-founder and managing partner, Peppercom

Founded in 1976, The Richards Group is the largest independently owned advertising agency in the country, boasting $1.28 billion in billings, $170 million in revenue, and more than 650 employees. Based in Dallas, the agency’s award-winning portfolio is packed with some of the most memorable campaigns of the past 30 years. From Chick-fil-A’s famous cows to the simple, distinctive Corona beer ads with couples lounging on the beach. (And don’t forget Motel 6’s “We’ll Leave the Light on for You.”) Yet in addition to this highly respected company’s longstanding success, it’s also experienced its fair share of missteps. And Stan Richards is going to share it all with you, as he elaborates on his overarching leadership principle: “Creativity doesn’t need a muse; it needs a drill sergeant.”

Speaker: Stan Richards, founder, The Richards Group

Interviewer: Burt Helm, Senior Writer, Inc. Magazine