Accenture: Developing Accenture Leaders to Manage a Culture of High Performance 

Accenture’s branded leadership development approach is helping to build performance anatomy: our own ability to manage the interaction between leadership and strategy, people development, IT enablement, performance measurement and innovation in a way that delivers high performance.

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 development, 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 our workforce, Accenture has always recognized that our people are our most important strategic assets. As Accenture grew, we 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.

Accenture set out to establish an approach that would build global leaders focused on growing Accenture’s footprint.

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 demonstrate 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.
• Master classes for senior executives.
• Geography-based leadership development opportunities.
• Corporate succession planning.
• Leadership survey.
• Communities.
• Core values.

The benefits of the Accenture leadership development programs for participants are clear. Leaders are given the opportunity to build capabilities around the three leadership contribution areas of value creator, people developer and business 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.

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.