For Immediate Release

Leadership expert Stephen Balzac, president of 7 Steps Ahead and author of The 36-Hour Course in Organizational Development, will be the final plenary speaker at the Computer Measurement Group's 37th annual international conference this December in Washington, DC.

"In the end, it's not the technology, it's the people, that determines the success of your organization," observes Mr. Balzac.

Technology can multiply the effectiveness of strong leaders. Technology is even better at magnifying the damage done by poor or untrained leaders. If your leaders can't lead, all your technology will just enable them to make bigger mistakes faster.

An MIT educated engineer, as well as an expert in organizational behavior and leadership, Mr. Balzac spent over twenty years in the high tech industry. His first hand experience with skilled, and unskilled, leaders make him an extremely sought after leadership consultant and speaker.

"In the tech bubble of the 1990s, it was easy for even an incompetent leader to create a successful company," comments Mr. Balzac. "Just the appearance that you couldn't possibly fail makes a big difference. In today's economy, though, I encounter leader after leader who are afraid of making mistakes, who are so afraid to fail that they can't give themselves permission to succeed."

In today's unforgiving market, companies do not have the room for bad leadership or for leaders who don't know how to take full advantage of the capabilities of their teams. Fortunately, most leaders have the talent to create great companies. They just need the appropriate training so that they can seize the opportunities in front of them and not be paralyzed by fear of failure.

Mr. Balzac's topic, "Zen and the Art of Leadership: Succeeding by Knowing When, And How, to Not Care" will cover the nine steps that can be used to build a team including: building trust, knowing how to get out of the way of your team, adapting your leadership style to maximize results in any situation, knowing when to give up power in order to succeed, and learning to succeed by recognizing when it's time to not care whether you live or die.

Mr. Balzac's Plenary Address will take place on Thursday, December 8, 2011 from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

About Steve Balzac

Stephen R. Balzac, "The Business Sensei," is an author, consultant, and professional speaker. He is the president of 7 Steps Ahead, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in helping businesses get unstuck and turn problems into opportunities.

Steve's background in engineering, management, psychology, martial arts, and competitive sports makes him a popular speaker on topics ranging from leadership, motivation, team building, interviewing skills, and sport performance to computer game design. He was a guest lecturer at MIT and WPI. His articles have appeared in a number of journals, including The Journal of Interactive Drama, The IBM Systems Journal, Mass High Tech, Enterprise Management Quarterly, The CEO Refresher, The Journal of Corporate Recruiting Leadership, Analog SF/F and the Worcester Business Journal.

Steve is a contributing author to Ethics and Game Design: Teaching Values Through Play and the author of the 36-Hour Course in Organizational Development published by McGraw-Hill. He is a frequent guest on radio shows including Motivational Minds and Leadership Radio, and is frequently quoted in a variety of publications including IndustryWeek Magazine, The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Boston Business Journal.

He also holds an appointment as an adjunct professor of Industrial/Organizational Psychology.

For further information or to arrange an interview, contact: