Tanzanite

In his 25 year-long career as a workforce strategist, leader, and speaker, Eric Swenson had participated in numerous in-house leadership training sessions, only to realize that leadership qualities must be developed among individuals by people who are experienced in actually leading other people. “Most of these training sessions were conducted by trainers or professors, who haven’t had hands-on experience in leading people,” observes Swenson. Thus, the need for creating a leadership development program led to the establishment of RSJ Swenson, with Swenson at the helm as the founder and Managing Director. Rebranded as Tanzanite Leadership Development, the company sculpts new-age leaders, as rare as the gem Tanzanite itself.

Swenson pinpoints that most employees are promoted into management due to hard work, or because they’re the best salesperson, or various other reasons, though none of those qualities automatically translate to having strong leadership traits. “Around 64 percent of CEOs admit that their biggest challenge lies in creating leaders for tomorrow,” he quotes a report. As a result, young employees are demanding formal training before stepping into the leadership zone. Tanzanite rises to this challenge, offering leadership programs developed by leaders for leaders.

Tanzanite offers a three-fold signature program. The first offers one-day leadership sessions every quarter presided over by Swenson, where trainees gain insights into specific leadership principles. For instance, Tanzanite provides trainees with tools that assist them in framing appropriate interview questions for new candidates.

It is more than a conventional training; at Tanzanite, learners are guided with ongoing training and exercises, making them future-ready

Added to that, learners are taught how to initiate a career-path conversation with an employee. The second program aims to enlighten trainees about the different aspects of leadership with the aid of podcasts and videos in a virtual reality setup, along with specific articles and relevant exercises. This program’s live call session encourages young leaders to come forward and discuss issues they face while leading teams, which is moderated by Swenson and his associates. The last program, designed as an entry-level prerequisite for rookie managers, is a boot camp that guides new managers to understand the essential factors required to manage people. “It is more than conventional training; at Tanzanite, learners are guided with ongoing training and exercises, making them future-ready,” says Swenson with pride. Experiencing remarkable success in its leadership programs, Tanzanite aims to launch its online academy by Labor Day, for people unable to travel to Los Angeles to attend the live training.

“Every participant can take the principles we teach and use them in the way that makes him or her the most effective,” comments Swenson. This approach allows managers to receive practical tools and skills that can be implemented immediately. The company is currently focused on attracting managers and leaders who are interested in developing existing skills as well as learning new ideas and concepts. Tanzanite has designed the first year program to guiding learners in understanding how to retain talented employees, create advanced interview strategies, and teach workplace ethics and culture, which in the long-run, will shape them into great mentors. “By 2020, we will also introduce interview sessions for candidates in a virtual reality environment, where we will provide real-time feedback, thereby better preparing them for their leadership career,” concludes Swenson.