BREAKTHROUGH LEADERSHIP { turn good managers into great leaders }

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WHAT WE HEAR ABOUT MIDLEVEL MANAGERS:

“ We don’t have a formula for this group.”

“ Our managers operate below level in areas like collaboration, influencing others, and partnering.”

BREAKTHROUGH LEADERSHIPDEVELOPING MANAGERS WHO ARE EFFECTIVE, ENGAGED, AND INSPIRING

* Professor David Garvin, Harvard Business School, author of Rethinking the MBA

MIDLEVEL MANAGERS ARE UNDERPERFORMING AND UNDERSERVED

In a world of increased competitive pressures and reduced resources, midlevel managers

are the lifeblood of your company. They execute your most important strategic priorities.

They motivate your teams.

And yet, in most organizations, this key group is underperforming, with estimates of nearly

half of midlevel managers’ performance seen as fair to poor.

Traditional leadership development programs aimed at this group fall short of expectations.

They either do not work within a company’s priorities or distract from day-to-day work.

Many focus too much on specific skills, neglecting crucial leadership concepts like self-

awareness, mind-set, and values.

BREAKTHROUGH LEADERSHIP: FOCUSING ON MIND-SET AND SKILL SET

Harvard Business Publishing has a solution. Our research indicates leadership

development for midlevel managers would be more effective if knowledge and skill sets

were more tightly integrated with the development of leadership mind-set and attitudes.*

That’s what the Breakthrough Leadership program from Harvard Business Publishing is

designed to do.

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A THREE-PART SYSTEM

Harvard Business Publishing’s Breakthrough Leadership is fundamentally different

from other programs. It goes beyond business knowledge to develop three crucial and

interconnected behavioral attributes.

With Breakthrough Leadership, managers develop themselves, not just their skills. They

integrate learning with business strategy, rather than just developing new aptitudes. They

practice what they learn at work on the job, not just in the classroom.

BREAKTHROUGH LEADERSHIP IS ORGANIZED INTO THREE CORE IMPERATIVES

Breakthrough Leadership is based on groundbreaking work in leadership development from

Linda A. Hill and Kent Lineback. Their research demonstrates that three fundamental

concepts maximize the leadership potential of midlevel managers.

MANAGING YOURSELF. Research has shown that the foundation of all effective business

relationships is trust. Trust is the confluence of competence and character. Managers learn

how to develop trust in coworkers, supervisors, direct reports, influencers, and others.

MANAGING YOUR NETWORK. In today’s interconnected business environment, managers

must cultivate a network to succeed. Managers learn to build their networks—whom to

include, how to work with their boss, strategic versus operational networks, and other topics.

MANAGING YOUR TEAM. The best managers foster a culture that both aligns with the

company’s strategy and drives the team’s effectiveness. Breakthrough Leadership helps

leaders understand team culture and craft roles that promote teamwork, within the context

of a strategic plan.

MEET THE EXPERTS

Breakthrough Leadership is based on the groundbreaking work in leadership development featured in Being the Boss, co-authored by Linda A. Hill and Kent Lineback.

Professor Linda A. Hill is the Brett Wallace Donham Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. She chairs the school’s Leadership Initiative, headed the team that developed HBS’s renowned leadership course for MBA candidates, and has chaired executive education programs.

After 30 years in both private industry and government, Kent Lineback has created management development programs for Harvard Business Publishing since the 1990s.

He is the co-author of The Monk and the Riddle, one of BusinessWeek’s “100 Best Business Books of All Time.”

DEVELOPING MIDLEVEL MANAGERS

Effective leadership combines knowledge, attitudes, and behavior.

KNOWINGConcepts

Frameworks Information

DOINGPractice

Application Execution

BEINGIdentity

Perspective Values

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LEARN: INTERACTIVE LEARNING

Core concepts are delivered using proven methodologies. Self-study is combined with group activities among the entire 8-to-10 person cohort. Participants discover new ideas on their own and then build and reinforce them within their groups.

LEARN: VIDEO-BASED INSIGHTS

Over eighty videos with experts and real-world managers deliver personal stories that highlight key concepts. These are highly effective and memorable for learners because they combine practical knowledge with scalable, action-oriented advice.

PRACTICE: CASE DISCUSSION

Ideas are illuminated with case studies, which the participant explores on his or her own. Then online discussions are held within the study group. Finally, the case culminates with a live cohort discussion. This methodology provides a richer overall experience.

APPLY: ON-THE-JOB ACTIVITIES

Research proves that combining concepts with real-world application cements what is learned and provides vital context so that the learner can apply it to the next problem as well as the current one. The On-the-Job activities use a systematic approach: Prepare/Do/Review.

ASSESS: FOLLOW-UP

Managers evaluate their current level of proficiency in the core concepts. This provides a baseline for learners to guide their development across the rest of the module. Managers reassess themselves at the end of each module and once again at the end of the program.

START YOUR JOURNEY

MANAGE YOURSELF

MANAGE YOUR NETWORK

MANAGE YOUR TEAM

CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEYYOUR JOURNEY

DRIVE YOUR EFFECTIVENESS

MODULE 1 WEEK 1

MODULE 2 WEEKS 2–7

MODULE 3 WEEKS 8–13

MODULE 4WEEKS 14–19

MODULE 5WEEKS 20

MODULE 6WEEKS 21–24

BREAKTHROUGH LEADERSHIP INCLUDES SIX MODULES:

BREAKTHROUGH LEADERSHIP: A BLENDED APPROACH

Breakthrough Leadership is a blended-learning, cohort-based program. Over the course of six

months, each cohort is divided into smaller study groups to facilitate peer-based learning.

Breakthrough Leadership draws on three proven approaches: Learning from Peers, Learning

by Doing, and Learning through Reflection. This blended approach is both effective and

scalable, applying the most effective modality to the appropriate content.

A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE

A NEW MODEL FOR DEVELOPING LEADERS

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BREAKTHROUGH LEADERSHIP CONTENT OVERVIEW: A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM THAT HELPS MANAGERS DEVELOP BOTH THEMSELVES AND THEIR SKILLS

MODULE ONE

Start Your Journey

Being a great manager is uniquely challenging. To excel, you must commit to a journey of personal transformation, confronting difficult paradoxes along the way. And you must master three imperatives: manage yourself, manage your network, and manage your team.

This module provides the framework for the program, covering concepts such as Surprising Truths about Management, Management Paradoxes, A Changing Landscape, Mastering the Art of Management.

MODULE TWO

Manage Yourself

This module combines two management essentials:

INFLUENCEYour core job is to influence your people to support organizational goals. Many managers struggle to influence effectively because they choose problematic approaches: they base their influence either on formal authority (“Do it because I’m the boss!”)or on personal ties (“Do it for me because we’re friends.”) Concepts include Gateways to Success, Formal Authority, Friendship.

TRUSTThe best way to influence people is to win their trust. To gain others’ trust, you must give them reason to believe in your character and your competence. Concepts include The Basis for Influence, Character and Competence.

®

MODULE THREE

Manage Your Network

This module covers two interrelated topics:

NETWORKINGTo build an effective network, create a web of mutually supportive relationships that can help your team succeed. Identify people inside and outside your organization with whom you need to do your work—now and in the future. Key concepts: A Web of Connections, Prepare Your Web, Map Your Contacts, Create Your Web.

PARTNER WITH YOUR BOSSWhen you partner with your boss, you generate valuable results for yourself, your boss, and your organization. Start first by understanding the differences between you. Then apply specific practices to foster a mutually beneficial working relationship. Concepts include Mutual Dependency, Understand Key Differences, Build the Alliance, Dealing with a Bad Boss.

MODULE FOUR

Manage Your Team

Two core concepts form the framework for this module:

FUTURE PLANNINGYou’re responsible for both present and future results. So devising a plan is essential. But a plan is more than a road map for your team’s future; it also fosters members’ commitment to a shared purpose. Your group must have a compelling purpose—and goals and plans based on that purpose—to become a high-performing team. Key concepts: Define Your Direction, Craft the Plan, Implementation.

TEAM CULTURETo transform a group of individuals into a high-performing team, you need more than purpose, goals, and plans. You must foster the right culture. That means clarifying who does what, how the team does its work, how team members interact, and how the team evaluates its collective performance. Key concepts: Clarity Is Key, Assess Current Conditions, Shape Roles, Processes and Norms, Global Teams.

MODULE FIVE

Continue Your Journey

To apply these ideas to daily work, two core concepts are covered:

MANAGING THROUGH THE DAILY WORKThe best managers use a three-step process to transform everyday events and incidents into opportunities to accomplish managerial work—whether it’s managing themselves, managing their networks, or managing their teams. Key concepts include What Great Managers Do, Understanding Prep-Do-Review, Using Prep-Do-Review.

DEVELOP AS A LEADERContinue your journey of development as a leader by regularly assessing your proficiency in the three imperatives, setting developmental goals, and then creating and pursuing plans for achieving those goals. It’s a challenging journey, but it’s one that yields many rewards: not only personal and professional growth but also the power to positively impact your team, your organization, and society. Key concepts include Identify Goals, Achieve Goals, Developmental Network, Pushing Ahead.

MODULE SIX

Drive Your Effectiveness

To master the three imperatives and become a truly effective leader, you’ll also need to excel at essential management activities.

This module supports continuous learning activities by leveraging Harvard ManageMentor topics to strengthen fundamental skills like coaching, delegating, providing feedback, and developing employees. These four topics have been carefully chosen to ensure individuals can realize their potential.

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BREAKTHROUGH LEADERSHIP IN ACTION

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MEET STEVE AND ALISHABoth are midlevel managers. Steve has completed the Breakthrough Leadership program, but Alisha has not. Follow them through their typical days and see how Breakthrough Leadership helps mold the leaders your organization needs.

You can’t effectively lead a team by intimidation or by friendship. To lead, you must develop the team’s trust through competence and character. Breakthrough Leadership helps managers develop leadership strategies and tactics that work.

STEVE LEADS BY TRUST

ALISHA LEADSBY AUTHORITY

The right culture transforms a group of individuals into a productive team. Breakthrough Leadership helps managers understand how to create and propagate an effective culture, so teams can focus on larger, strategic imperatives.

STEVE HAS CREATED A

CULTURE OF SUPPORT AND

TEAMWORK

ALISHA’S TEAM IS CONSTANTLY PUTTING OUT

FIRES

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All organizations are political; people have their own goals and motivations. Leaders must understand organizational dynamics and craft appropriate responses. Breakthrough Leadership helps develop methods and strategies to form a network for success.

STEVE SYSTEMATICALLY

BUILDS A NETWORK OF

SUPPORT

ALISHA STRUGGLES WITH

CORPORATE POLITICS

An effective relationship with one’s boss is crucial. Breakthrough Leadership helps midlevel managers understand their bosses’ needs and differences and develop strategies to build strong alliances with their supervisors.

STEVE AND HIS BOSS HAVE A

MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL

RELATIONSHIP

ALISHA AND HER BOSS

HAVE AN UNEASY TRUCE

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With the time stresses and productivity demands that characterize business today, an

effective leadership development program must integrate seamlessly into your company’s

systems and processes. We have created Breakthrough Leadership specifically to make

implementation, participation, and administration as easy as possible.

EASY TO IMPLEMENT AND ADMINISTER

IMPLEMENTATION: TAILORED TO

SUIT YOUR ORGANIZATION’S

NEEDS

Breakthrough Leadership is scalable to your organization’s needs and can be customized to reflect your strategic priorities.

o You can choose to have the program delivered by your own staff or by Harvard Business Publishing facilitators.

o The content of the follow-up modules from Harvard ManageMentor can be Harvard ManageMentor can be Harvard ManageMentorselected to supplement the skill sets of your participants.

o The duration of the program can be adjusted to fit the schedules of your participants.

o The size of cohorts can be expanded or contracted within ranges as needed.

Breakthrough Leadership features a robust and dynamic learning platform for your participants. It includes the content for each module, a syllabus that can be integrated into your existing calendar program, email updates on what is due, easy access to ongoing peer discussions, and other important information. The interface is clean, easy to navigate, and convenient to use.

Community pages make it easy to interact with the study groups and full cohorts.

PARTICIPATION: SIMPLIFY THE

PROCESS

BREAKTHROUGH LEADERSHIP: A NEW MODEL OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Breakthrough Leadership is specifically designed to address the key issues facing midlevel

managers today and provides a solution to the ineffective programs that have underserved

this community in the past.

By developing both skills and personal traits in this crucial group, Breakthrough Leadership

can provide an important competitive advantage for your organization: establishing a

pipeline of great leaders.

ADMINISTRATION: MAKING IT EASY Breakthrough Leadership’s automated learning platform reduces the administrative

burden typically associated with delivery of a blended program, freeing up learning and development resources to focus on more strategic, higher-value activities. For example, cohort participation is automatically tracked so attention can be centered on increasing throughput.

ABOUT CORPORATE LEARNING

Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning

partners with clients to create world-class

leadership development solutions for managers

at all levels. Our team leverages the management

insight, thought leadership, and expertise of Harvard

Business School faculty and authors from Harvard

Business Review to create tailored leadership

development solutions. With more than 20 years

of practical experience, our innovative, technology-

enabled solutions drive meaningful and lasting

business results. Corporate Learning is a market

group within Harvard Business Publishing.

ABOUT HARVARD BUSINESS PUBLISHING

Harvard Business Publishing was founded in 1994 as

a not-for-profit, wholly owned subsidiary of Harvard

University. Its mission is to improve the practice of

management and its impact in a changing world.

The company achieves its mission through its

relationships with customers in three market groups:

Higher Education, Corporate Learning, and Harvard

Business Review Group. Through these platforms,

Harvard Business Publishing is able to influence real-

world change by maximizing the reach and impact

of its essential offering—ideas.

© 2012 Harvard Business School Publishing.

Harvard Business Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School. MC171530112

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