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Transformation goal of Wright Foundation
As seen in the Sun-Times: Evanston Review on June 11, 2009
Brad Anderson, vice chairman and CEO of Best Buy Co., Inc., accepted the 2009 Transformational Leadership Award at a dinner gala on April 17 at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago.
More than 350 CEOs, entrepreneurs, local leaders and academics from around the country honored Anderson for modeling a leadership style some consider "visionary" and especially valuable during times of challenge and profound change.
Wright Foundation for Transformational Leadership gala: (From left) Wilmette resident Carrie Armour, an attorney with the American Medical Association, joins South Loop resident Dr. Theri Griego Raby, founder of The Raby Institute for Integrative Medicine at Northwestern, at the 2009 Wright Foundation Transformational Leadership Awards ceremony on April 17 at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago.
The gala and annual Transformational Leadership Award were presented by the Wright Foundation for Transformational Leadership and the Wright Institute for the Realization of Human Potential.
Leadership success
The Wright Foundation for Transformational Leadership promotes the study, development and recognition of transformational leadership through research, education and symposia. The foundation's annual award recognizes accomplished individuals whose leadership success derives from the fundamental belief that change in the world begins with the transformation of the individual.
The Wright Institute for the Realization of Human Potential is a graduate school offering instruction in human development theories and practices leading to master's and doctoral degrees.
In accepting the award, Anderson reflected on his own transformation as a leader, beginning with his first job in 1973 as a commissioned salesman at Sound of Music, a small chain of stereo stores that was the precursor to Best Buy. Within weeks of joining the company, Anderson was ready to quit because he had not made a single sale.
Learning to listen
By learning to truly listen to customers, Anderson explained, he became a successful salesman and store manager, eventually rising to CEO of the electronic retailer that became Best Buy.
Currently, the Wright Foundation is preparing for the 2009 Transformational Leadership Principles and Practices Symposium, to be held this fall in Chicago. The two-day symposium will feature leading experts on transformational leadership plus panel discussions, workshops and presentations. Visit wrightleadership.org.
Brad Anderson, CEO of Best Buy Receives 2009 Transformational Leadership Award
Brad Anderson, CEO of Best Buy, is winner of the 2009 Transformational Leadership Award, presented by the Wright Foundation for Transformational Leadership. The award is given to a leader who a leader who embodies the personal and staff commitment to change and innovation that leads to the transformation of the organization and the community it serves.
The award was presented at the 2009 Transformational Leadership Celebration & Awards Gala on April 17, 2009, at the Ritz-Carlton Chicago.