With his doctorate degree in Learning and Motivation and Clinical Psychology, Dr. Levitan leads RHR’s consulting team and over the years has concentrated on effective management of client transitions associated with growth, globalization and leadership succession.

The presentation started with an accurate allegory between the track and field sport of running with a baton and the transitional period in a company when the Chief Executive Officer leaves and bestows the seat to the next patron. Dr. Levitan stated that just like in the sport, two great athletes are not enough to succeed: there needs to be appropriate speed applied, understanding where and how the baton is coming, a good period of time when both runners are on the field.

He went on to explain that a leadership change in a small business (later defined as one that makes a revenue of less than a 100 million a year) might be trickier than in a larger organization due to the fact that more emotion and expectations from family members are tied to those decisions. Dr. Levitan stated that every CEO should examine his capability in three various fields: setting direction for the company, ability to juggle two competing ideas, and thorough execution of the plan.

In the continuing speech, the Managing Director of RHR International, said that each integration from one boss to the next consists of four basic steps. The first one – the Honeymoon - is a period when the new head avoids pitfalls and tries to make a good impression, all the employees seem great and the person feels a need and possibility to help. After about 3 months, “reality” begins to arrive, where people really begin to understand the firm, and perhaps even have doubts whether or not they can help. The next phase - the Adjustment- focuses mostly on further understanding of the company and finally after about a year one should know whether he integrated and would like to stay or not.

As the last remarks, Dr. Levitan mentioned that hiring professionals, who can separate emotions from business, is usually a good solution for both the previous and the new CEO. That way, both people see and understand the vision they have for the firm, how they would like to proceed in its growth, etc.

Next month’s event will be hosted on July 25, 2007 at noon at the Tower Club with Christopher Multhauf, President and CEO of the Alliance for Illinois Manufacturing. All are encouraged to attend.