Breakthrough

Action Leadership Training An Introduction What is Breakthrough Action Leadership Training? The function of leadership is to effectively move from declaration (promise) to delivery (fulfillment of that promise). The capacity to manifest this leadership function is a natural capacity that requires release or breakthrough rather than learning or training. Breakthrough Action, as such, is a systems based school of thought, implemented through the active practice of three key principles: o Responsibility o Self-reflection o Collective leadership How does Breakthrough Action work? Breakthrough Action trains you to practice these three principles in the areas where you are challenged or stopped, freeing you to be successful. In fact, you will notice when you look at the areas where you are already experiencing success that you are also already practicing these principles. Consider the successful areas of your practice and you will see Breakthrough Action actively in place; you will see that you are being responsible, self- reflective and creating collective leadership. Who is Breakthrough Action training geared towards? We teach Breakthrough Action to individuals wishing to move to an active and conscious form of leadership practice and to develop in the areas where they are stuck. We teach Breakthrough Action to individuals who have been unable to advance past a certain level of leadership or who have been unable to increase their sphere of power or influence. Quite simply, Breakthrough Action training is for anyone who wants to expand their leadership effectiveness. What results can be expected? Breakthrough Action practice trains leaders to be both responsible for the level of leadership they have achieved and self reflective in their ability to see internal practices that have resulted from their successes and failures. Breakthrough Action trains leaders to get into action, to build their own leadership practice and that of those around them. It is finally action (informed by the conscious practice of Breakthrough Action principles) that will have leaders consistently develop beyond their current leadership capacity.

 Core principles of Breakthrough Action: o Responsibility o Self-reflection (accepting feedback) o Collective leadership (building leaders around you) Being Responsible This core principle calls leaders to be responsible for the results they are producing right now. Responsibility, once fully embraced, becomes an obvious and essential component of effective leadership. Conscious leadership always leads to the conclusion that the only alternative to being a responsible leader is being a leader that blames others or blames circumstances for the current situation. Responsibility is not blame. Being fully responsible causes a deep awareness of and appreciation for consequences. It does not deflect consequences with the useless indulgence of excess guilt or self-destructive behavior; rather it acknowledges consequences, explores the opportunity for learning, and moves quickly into more effective action informed by the results already produced. Too many leaders use guilt or blame as a replacement for action. Being truly responsible short-circuits this classic leadership block and replaces blame with the freedom of powerfully informed action, which is true responsibilitys natural response. Responsibility is immediately linked to producing results, as Breakthrough Action Leaders can look directly at any area of life that is not working and see where they have not been willing to be responsible. This lens gives the Breakthrough Action Leader a real-time capacity to intervene where results are inconsistent. In addition, they have a powerful tool that frees all of the participants in any leadership project from the paralyzing effects of finger pointing and being passed the buck. Breakthrough Action Leaders start assessment conversations by declaring where they have not been responsible and how that has produced the current set of results. This frees all others to do the same and can move a project from frozen to freedom in moments. In this new space all parties are freed to examine where they have failed and to get into action to correct those failures. Responsibility is the first among the three core principles and has perhaps the greatest capacity to produce immediate results. It also is the most challenging to potential students of this leadership school. Breakthrough Action Leaders, by definition, are willing to be responsible.

Breakthrough Action Responsibility

 Core principles of Breakthrough Action: o Responsibility o Self-reflection (accepting feedback) o Collective leadership (building leaders around you) Being Self Reflective This core principle calls leaders to look at the source of their actions in the results that they have produced, and to seek out and accept feedback when they cannot see that source clearly. Self-reflection at its essence is the Breakthrough Action practice of developing your inner vision. Once you take responsibility for your results, inner vision allows you to see the source of the results you have produced (as opposed to the results you declared or promised). Breakthrough Action Leaders discover that the true barriers to effective leadership are internal. Further, the inner vision that is accessed in the practice of self- reflection quickly reveals those internal barriers. The practice of seeking out and accepting feedback is the essential flip side of self- reflection. Breakthrough Action Leaders realize that the limits of self-reflection require feedback from others to confirm or correct the self-assessment that is essential to success. Creating a continuum of trusted individuals that can provide this feedback is one of the key tasks of successful leaders. In addition, Breakthrough Action Leaders can illicit and successfully utilize feedback from strangers, groups or any environment in which they operate. It is often the case that leaders confuse doing well with effective leadership, when in fact the key capacity of successful leadership, is not only knowing when you are doing well but also knowing when you are not. It is this capacity to self-assess success or lack of success at any moment that characterizes effective leaders. Feedback allows leaders to constantly refine and improve upon their success records. Equally important to the practice of self-reflection is the practice of a non-judgmental approach to leadership. Judgment in the arena of self-reflection is usually self- condemnatory and consequently leads to denial rather than reflection. The development of a non-judgmental approach towards your own actions, as well as the actions of others, is essential for the self-reflective leader. Self-reflection is the second key principle and it has the capacity to turn any failure or frustration into a results-producing windfall. Breakthrough Action Leaders, by definition, are willing to be self-reflective.

Breakthrough Action Self Reflection

 Core principles of Breakthrough Action: o Responsibility o Self-reflection (accepting feedback) o Collective leadership (building leaders around you) Creating Collective Leadership This core principle calls leaders to invest in the leadership capacity of those who surround them. Creating collective leadership is the essential Breakthrough Action practice of developing other peoples leadership skills. True leaders know that the most important leadership conversation is the most recent one you have had, regardless of whether that conversation was with a high-powered CEO or with your waiter at lunch. Taking the view that one is surrounded by other leaders who are breaking through to their own effective practice, can transform the approach of every Breakthrough Action Leader. The paradox of Breakthrough Action is that you produce results out there while practicing becoming conscious in here. The practice of creating collective leadership brings this paradox into practical application by moving the purpose or focus of your leadership practice into the real sphere where you are producing results, namely your relationship with those whom you lead. Leaders are frequently stopped because they are worried about how they are perceived, how they are communicating, or how they have come across. These concerns, while natural, are ultimately self-indulgent and miss the context into which all communication must land; namely the other, the audience, the collective pool of leaders around you. Collective leaders are not so much focused on what they are saying as how it is being understood (or misunderstood). They are interested in the thoughts and reactions of the individuals listening. The practice of creating collective leaders is inspiring to others. When we are spoken to by someone who is committed to our development, we become empowered and eager to emulate their behavior. Creating collective leadership builds ever-expanding circles of impact. Its practice allows leaders to even be effective among individuals whom they have never met or worked with. Creating collective leadership is the third key principle and it firmly grounds Breakthrough Action practice in the relationship based leadership schools. Breakthrough Action Leaders, by definition, surround themselves with other leaders.

Breakthrough Action Collective Leadership

Breakthrough Action
Responsibility Self-reflection Collective leadership

To find out more about Breakthrough Action leadership training, have your questions and inquirys about participation answered, please contact us. David Mensah David@dkbwave.com (917) 209-9263

Debra Keenan debra@dkbwave.com (973) 902-7218