Developing Accenture leaders to manage a culture
of high performance
Creating a culture of high performance depends
on commitment at the highest levels of the
organization. Moreover, such a culture calls for
leaders who are willing and able to serve, simul-
taneously, as passionate value creators, people
developers and business operators.
Developing leaders who can master these important
roles is no easy task. Accenture’s branded leadership
development approach sheds light on how businesses
striving for high performance can help ensure
they have the leadership in place to drive superior
business results for the long term.
Business Challenge
Accenture’s ongoing research has revealed three
building blocks of high performance. One of
these building blocks is performance anatomy,
or a company’s ability to manage the interaction
between leadership and strategy, people develop-
ment, IT enablement, performance measurement
and innovation in a way that produces outstanding
results. Performance anatomy is based on successful
and sustainable business practices such as focusing
on identifying and multiplying talent at all levels
of the organization.
As a company built on the knowledge,
skills, insights and experience of its
workforce, Accenture has always rec-
ognized that its people are its most
important strategic assets. Further, the
company has clearly understood the
need for programs that continually
develop the talents and strengths of its
people. Accenture found that creating
such an environment not only motivates
employees and encourages them to
build new skills, but also translates into
better service for clients.
Over the years, Accenture established
strong training and development pro-
grams to help employees achieve their
full potential. As the company grew, it
recognized that it needed to pay even
more attention to strengthening the
leadership capabilities among those
professionals at the highest levels of
the business. This belief was supported
by Accenture’s experience and research,
which showed that organizations with
strong leadership cultures are leaders in
their market and create more value for
their shareholders. It was also supported
by anecdotal evidence from within:
employees expressed a strong desire for
inspiring leaders.
As Accenture grew, it set out to prepare
a new generation of leaders able not
only to direct one of the industry’s largest
and most diverse workforce, but also
achieve the company’s goal of becoming
one of the world’s leading businesses.
The company knew that the cornerstone
of this effort would be the creation of
a consolidated and branded leadership
development approach that would support
Accenture’s overarching efforts to build
success on success, decade after decade.
What Accenture did
Accenture looked to other organizations
with a strong culture of leadership to
understand what components might
make the most sense for its own orga-
nization. Relying on these observations,
as well as employee surveys and the
insights of renowned leadership experts
such as Drs. Noel Tichy, Warren Bennis,
Steve Kerr and others, Accenture set out
to establish an approach that would
build global leaders focused on growing
Accenture’s footprint, improving the
company’s profitability, and developing
and inspiring others.
One important aspect of the approach
is that Accenture designed the leadership
development approach to be dynamic.
Leadership requires managing within a
challenging and changing world. It is,
therefore, a journey, not a destination.
In developing a platform for ongoing
leadership development, the team relied
on Accenture’s leadership statement,
which had already identified three
broad contribution areas and associated
behaviors that leaders must exhibit to
lead the company in the future. The
first contribution area is “value creator,”
which means the person must dem-
onstrate the ability to generate and
operationalize ideas that create value
for our clients. The second contribution
area is “people developer,” meaning
that future leaders have the ability to
create a lasting legacy. The third and
final contribution area is “business
operator.” Effective leaders must be
able to run a profitable business that
generates profits, minimize costs and
continuously improve bottom-line
results.
Accenture’s leadership development
approach is brought to life through a
series of programs and initiatives:
Leadership development programs
for high-potential senior managers.
Senior managers in line for promotion
to senior executive are invited to par-
ticipate in a nine-month program that
includes a series of workshops aimed
at building the capabilities around the
three leadership contribution areas of
value creator, people developer and
business operator. Action learning also
plays a large role. Participants are
placed in teams and directed to propose
and implement solutions to real busi-
ness problems or opportunities facing
Accenture. At the end of the year,
the teams present their proposals to
their respective leadership teams, with
the best proposals slated for funding
and implementation. This initiative
was launched seven years ago within
Accenture’s Resources operating group.
Today, the program is Accenture-wide,
including representation across all
geographies, workforces and entities. The
program welcomes over 400 participants
each year and is growing. The leaders of
Accenture play a very active and hands-
on role in this program.
Master classes for senior executives.
Accenture’s newly promoted senior
executives are given the opportunity to
develop their leadership capabilities by
participating in a 3-day master class. In
addition to celebrating their recent pro-
motions, the goal of these workshops is
to further build the capabilities of these
senior executives around our leadership
contribution areas of value creator,
people developer and business operator,
as well as introduce them to the latest
trends and ideas from external thought
leaders. Participants are encouraged to
leave these master classes and teach
what they have learned to their teams.
The program reaches approximately 700
senior executives each year.
Geography-based leadership devel-
opment opportunities. For senior
executives and high-potential senior
managers in developing and high-growth
markets, Accenture provides additional
opportunities to develop leadership
capabilities around the three leadership
contribution areas. These programs, cur-
rently available in India and China (and
expected to extend to other locations) are
customized to address local issues and
opportunities and to set a highly mean-
ingful context for participants. These
geography-based programs reach over
300 executives each year.
Corporate succession planning.
Accenture has institutionalized a corporate
approach across Accenture that succes-
sion plans for over 400 key leadership
positions and roles that are critical
to the health of the organization.
The approach also provides targeted
senior executives with development
opportunities and programs such as the
leadership program of the International
Institute for Management Development
in Switzerland. In addition Accenture’s
CEO and top management team provides
development opportunities for these
leaders through targeted retreats and
advisory groups. Accenture also carefully
manages the development of these
leaders through development opportunities,
including job experience and movement
across roles and geographies.
Leadership survey. Accenture provides
employees at the manager, senior manager
and senior executive levels the opportunity
to receive important feedback through
the Leadership Survey. The survey
provides participants both peer and
upward feedback related to their people
developer, value creator and business
operator capabilities.
Communities. Accenture further
develops the capabilities of all our
people by delivering content around
key Accenture topics and priorities
through local Community programs.
This enables Accenture’s people to
receive common foundational knowledge
through these Community forums,
which are typically local meetings taking
place in the cities in which we live and
work.
Core values. Accenture’s core values of
Stewardship, Best People, Client Value
Creation, One Global Network, Integrity
and Respect for the Individual shape
the culture and define the character
of our company. They guide how we
behave and make decisions. Our lead-
ership development approach ensures
our people continue to recognize,
understand and live our core values
by providing initiatives such as a core
values reinvigoration and recognition
programs.
High Performance Delivered About Accenture
According to Accenture’s Chairman Accenture is a global management
and CEO Bill Green, “There is no consulting, technology services and
more important quality, no more outsourcing company. Committed to
important skill and no more important delivering innovation, Accenture col-
element of character than leadership.” laborates with its clients to help them
Accenture’s leadership development become high-performance businesses
efforts have evolved into a comprehensive and governments. With deep industry
approach and framework that is build- and business process expertise, broad
ing the leadership capabilities of our global resources and a proven track
people. record, Accenture can mobilize the right
people, skills and technologies to help
The benefits of the Accenture leadership clients improve their performance. With
development programs for participants approximately 170,000 people in 49
are clear. Leaders are given the opportunity countries, the company generated net
to build capabilities around the three revenues of US$19.70 billion for the fis-
leadership contribution areas of value cal year ended Aug. 31, 2007. Its home
creator, people developer and business page is www.accenture.com.
operator. They are provided the opportunity
to expand their global network and
build relationships with others. They
learn valuable, practical skills that help
them achieve their individual aspirations,
while maintaining Accenture’s course
toward high performance.
Participants have enthusiastically
endorsed the value of Accenture’s
leadership development efforts. One
senior executive noted that a program
attended provided a “fantastic opportunity
to grow in each of the three leadership
contribution areas.” Another remarked,
“the access to leadership was most
valuable, especially hearing their
perspective on how to be a successful
leader at Accenture.” Many comment
that the leadership development programs
are “the best” energizing programs they
have experienced.
Accenture, of course, benefits from
these programs, too. The leadership
development approach ensures a steady
stream of top talent for Accenture and
helps distinguish Accenture’s performance
anatomy by shaping the mindsets and
business practices necessary for profitable
growth and high performance.

Copyright © 2008 Accenture
All rights reserved.
Accenture, its logo, and
High Performance Delivered
are trademarks of Accenture.
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