Our Leadership in Action leadership development program focuses on producing leaders who will behave in new ways that can improve engagement and discretionary effort in their organizations. This presentation outlines how we produce behavior change in leaders.

1. Leadership in Action
An outsourcing program for
leadership development
focused on driving
organizational performance
through engagement and
discretionary effort.
How We Produce Behavior Change

2. Our Leadership Development Program
Leadership Assessment Tools are
needed to focus and accelerate the
leadership development process.
A “blended learning” approach will
deliver training 24/7 through online
courses as well as through
workshops.
One-on-one and team coaching will
be used to accelerate the rate of
experiential learning and behavior
change.

3. All Leadership Development Elements are Required
The absence or ineffectiveness of one or more of
these elements is why so many leadership
development efforts fail to produce the changes
in leadership behaviors that are required to
deliver higher levels of engagement and
discretionary effort.
Training alone typically does not produce
behavioral change and it can be very expensive.
Training and coaching without assessment
sacrifices both effectiveness (developing the
wrong skills and abilities) and efficiency (delaying
behavioral change and increasing costs).

4. How We Produce Behavior Change
The question we are asked most
frequently about our leadership
development program is how we
are able to produce the behavior
changes that result in improved
leadership effectiveness. The
answer resides in the objectives we
set and the integrated approach we
take to achieve them.

5. How We Produce Behavior Change
Focus on Program Objectives
We focus all elements of our program
on improving staff engagement and
discretionary effort. Research clearly
indicates improving staff engagement
and discretionary effort will result in a
wide range of economic benefits for
the organization. Thus, we focus our
efforts on helping our clients to
develop and apply the leadership
knowledge, competencies, and
behaviors necessary to improve staff
engagement and discretionary effort.

6. How We Produce Behavior Change
Focus on Interpersonal Skills and Abilities
We do provide learning materials and
discussion about leadership theories
and models, but most of our effort
focuses on developing and deploying
the interpersonal skills and abilities
required to put leadership knowledge
to work. What makes a successful
leader is what they can achieve with
and through other people, which
requires advanced interpersonal skills.
We develop six complementary sets of
critically important skills and abilities.

7. Interpersonal Skills and Abilities
Read people by accurately interpreting the emotional
content in their faces, body language, and non-verbal
communication. This includes the ability to assess how well
other persons accept your ideas and points of view.
Connect with people, primarily through empathy, reflective
listening and then form trusting relationships that are the
foundation of work environments that feature engagement
and collaboration.
Engage people through questioning and responding
appropriately to their ideas and emotional states.

8. Interpersonal Skills and Abilities
Influence the attitudes, abilities, and actions of others through
constructive communication strategies, coaching, applying
nurturing behaviors while avoiding toxic ones.
Think more effectively with others in pairs (using the Thinking
Partners method) and a by facilitating small group thinking
processes in an enriched Thinking Environment.
Shape behaviors using the principles of Applied Behavior
Analysis to implement change faster and more effectively as well
as manage performance to better achieve objectives.

9. Efficient and Personalized
Our development program is highly efficient
because our assessment program clearly
defines our starting point and we have clear
performance objectives in mind (engagement
and discretionary effort). Because each leader
will ultimately develop their own unique blend
of leadership style and interpersonal skill
set, the one-on-one approach we use is
essential to achieve the economic benefits to
the organization we seek to achieve. The basic
development process and performance
objectives are well-defined, but each
development journey is unique.

10. Leadership in Action
Questions?
Contact:
Dr. Phillip R. Ash
professorash@ymail.com