© 2010 Impact Consulting Group

Services to support leaders one at a time, or more.

“Great leaders build companies. Poor leaders unwittingly dismantle. It’s possible to become a great leader.”

Nancy Lewis and Aleta Norris, Living As A Leader co-founders

About this e-Guide.

As we talk with leaders within organizations about the topic of leadership, we are very often asked to paint a picture of a variety of things. And, it’s different for everyone. It may be related to our philosophy on leadership, the ROI of leadership, the services we offer, exactly HOW we help leaders and companies, or what others have to say about us. So, in response, we’ve created this e-Guide as a reference.

Now…here’s the thing! We do not intend for you to read this whole thing. Instead, take a look at the table of contents, and simply click on what you’d like to learn more about. Throughout the e-Guide, you will find links to additional detail...where you would like more.

ENJOY!

Contents

Part 1In Search of Great LeadershipLeadership is a Developed SkillThe Need to Lead

Part 2What We DoHistory

Part 3How We Can HelpLeadership Development SeriesCustomized Services

Part 4Learn More About Living As A LeaderOur clientsOur teamTestimonials

Part 5Getting started

Part 1

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In Search of Great LeadershipLeadership is a Developed SkillThe Need to Lead

1

In Search of Great Leadership

Every day, a star employee is promoted into a leadership role. An assumption is made that this high-performing individual contributor will naturally be a great leader. Quite the contrary. Most star employees have difficulty leading others, because they don’t understand why others can’t just do it….the way they have always done it! Doing and leading are very different skills. The results also differ.

Conversely, many organizations have employees who have spent a long time in leadership roles. They are established leaders. And, yet, just like the newly-promoted leader, they often struggle in the leadership aspects of their jobs.

When the star performer or the long-time leader is unable to lead others effectively, what can a company do about it?

Increasingly, organizations are searching for answers to this question because they recognize the collateral damage—negative culture, reduced morale and productivity, loss of good employees—caused by ineffective leadership.

Only 51 percent of employees are satisfied with their boss, according to the Conference Board, 2010.

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Ultimately, a leader is judged on results. Yet, too often, results are lacking. A year-end 2009 Drake International study showed that only 45 percent of American workers are satisfied on the job . . . and there is a direct link between a leader’s effectiveness and the satisfaction of employees he or she leads, as well as a direct association between satisfaction and results.

To achieve the results desired by an organization, a leader must know how to effectively balance workforce accountability with workforce inspiration. Accountability involves managing employee performance. Inspiration involves listening, providing encouragement and facilitating interaction among employees.

To be effective at inspiring others and making them accountable, leaders must possess a certain skill set grounded in proven principles of people leadership. This pertains to leaders at all levels: team leaders, supervisors, managers, senior leaders and executives. Most leaders inherently are better with accountability or inspiration; few are able to achieve the right balance without further skill development.

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Leadership is a Developed Skill

We are not born to lead. We’re born with the ability to lead, and the level of this ability is not the same for everyone (as you have probably noticed). When you see a strong leader in action, you’re likely witnessing a person who has developed and honed skills over time.

Developing and coaching leaders to effect positive changes within an organization begins with helping them understand basic human behavior. Leaders need to be aware of the predictable challenges they face as they work with people.

We believe in equipping established leaders and high achievers promoted into leadership roles with the skill set to lead intentionally or to “lead by design.” When your leaders are given time and support to design the type of leader they want to be (and the type of leadership they want to provide), they position themselves—and your company—for success.

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“True leadership is not something you learn once; it is an ever-evolving pattern of skills, talents and abilities that you craft and seek to perfect over a lifetime. Your leadership journey will never be finished. You are a wondrous work in progress.”

Sheila Murray Bethel, Ph.D, from ‘A New Breed of Leader’

Over the past 20 years, we’ve worked with thousands of leaders across varied industries and have observed firsthand the impact of strong and weak leadership on employees and organizational results. Unfortunately, in our experience, truly great leaders are in short supply. Many executives have told us that their experiences mirror ours: When asked to name some great leaders in their own careers, most can produce only one or two names.

Don’t assume people will just naturally grow into their roles as leaders.

What can you do to improve your leaders? As you look to hire and promote your stars for leadership roles, we encourage you to assess leadership potential. Don’t assume people will just naturally grow into their roles as leaders. The risk in collateral damage caused by ineffective leadership is not worth it. Also, invest in your leaders. Help your rising stars recognize what skills are needed to take the reins of leadership, and give your established leaders the opportunity to hone their skill sets. The positive change in employees, culture and productivity can be dramatic.

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69% of human resources directors have claimed finding people with the right leadership skills as their major concern

Richmond Events

The Need to Lead

The Need to Lead, a Living As A Leader position paper, highlights the leadership void in companies today and the ramifications of not having strong leaders.

Are you aware of the leadership crisis in our country? We’ve all read the shocking headlines on the demise of once-revered companies driven into the ground through dramatic lapses in leadership. On a less visible front, and at a level where leaders interact with employees one to one every day, the news is also not good. It is here that ineffective leadership is sending significant negative repercussions throughout departments and organizations, and having the kind of negative effect on corporate bottom lines that may surprise you.

You can read more on this topic in The Need to Lead.

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Part 2

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What We DoHistory

8

What We Do

Using a unique combination of training and coaching, we develop people into effective, productive leaders. Whatever level your leaders are at—from the rising star just promoted into a leadership role to the long-time leader—we offer services and support to help leaders become confident and intentional as they work with others. To achieve the results you seek, we employ either a progressive development approach or customized services to fit any situation.

Companies invite us to work with them because we develop leaders whose impact is noticeable, positive and lifelong. Our talented team of facilitators and coaches focuses on making a positive impact on others, one leader at a time.

Living As A Leader services: •Skill-building workshops •Leadership coaching •Leadership team development •Company-specific leadership project work •Professional speaking services

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Leadership Philosophies

Much of what we do in our work begins with an understanding of fundamental human behavior. We help leaders recognize what inherently challenges them in their overall effectiveness. Observing leaders who struggle repeatedly with a number of basic bad habits, we see over and over again that these poor habits are, pure and simple, not intentional. For this reason, we strongly advocate “intentional” leadership.

In all of the work we do with leaders, we encourage them to: •Be Kind •Be Humble •Be Tolerant •Be Productive •Be Accountable •....and Serve Others

These principles form the cornerstone of our philosophy on supporting leaders.

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To become familiar with more of our beliefs on leadership development, please read Beliefs and Philosophies on Leadership. It offers our take on: •How to define a leader •The traits of effective leadership •Rarity of great leadership •Whether leaders are natural-born •The importance of leadership development

Please download Beliefs and Philosophies on Leadership at our website by clicking here.

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Aleta Norris and Nancy Lewis founded Impact Consulting Group in 1996 as a broad-services training and consulting firm. Their objective: Make a positive difference in the lives of people within organizations and positively impact the bottom lines of organizations served. Impact Consulting Group supported: •Leaders •Front-line work teams •Sales professionals •Cross-functional team effectiveness •Strategic planning and focusing, testing

and assessment •Customer service professionals

In 2002, Aleta and Nancy decided to narrow their focus on leadership and co-founded the Living As A Leader division.

History

Part 3

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How We Can Help •Leadership Development Series •Customized Services

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How We Can Help

Welcome to leadership development. It’s a rewarding process.

We can help leaders at all levels – from the rising star promoted into a leadership role to the long-time leader. To achieve the results you seek, we employ 1) our comprehensive leadership development series or 2) customized leadership development services designed to fit any situation.

Our signature service, the Leadership Development Series, covers a 12-month period of progressive development. This comprehensive, steady- progress-over-time approach equips leaders with depth and breadth of skill and knowledge, through monthly workshops and coaching sessions. Participants include supervisors, managers and some senior leaders.

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Leadership Development Series

We also offer a six-month series for informal leaders who do not have the same authority as 12-month participants, yet also need to effectively influence the actions of others. Participants include team leaders, group leaders, project leaders, employees with high potential and technical professionals.

Leaders who successfully complete either development series will be workplace-ready—intentional and confident with the leadership choices they make, instinctively knowing what to say and what to do.

You can take advantage of the 12-month series and the 6-month series in two ways.

1) We come into your organization and deliver the series to your intact team of leaders.

2) You enroll one or more of your leaders in our open-enrollment option.

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“The two most common refrains we hear from leaders are ‘I don’t know what to say’ and ‘I don’t know what to do.’”

Aleta Norris, Living As A Leader

Key Features of the Leadership Development Series: •Monthly workshops combined with one-on-one or

small-group coaching, a unique approach that maximizes both education and application.

•An up-front feedback opportunity, involving the participant and his or her boss. This helps us prepare a personal development plan for each participant.

•The opportunity for participants to work with their own leadership coach. This is a favorite part of the series!

•360-degree feedback on each participant’s strengths and opportunities for improvement.

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Does the Series sound right for your leaders? To help you determine whether the Series is a good fit, we’ve created a Leadership Development Series Fact Sheet. It will give you the entire story on our unique approach to leadership development, which includes: •The principles that form the foundation of the Leadership

Development Series

•The process for skill development and coaching

•An overview of the monthly skill-building workshops (for both the 6-month and 12-month series)

•The role of the boss

•Options for in-house or open enrollment

You can learn more by reading our Leadership Development Series Fact Sheet.

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Do you have a unique leadership challenge? Consider a customized approach to solving the problem. We can create a solution—for any challenge—at all levels of leadership within your organization. If you’re unsure of the best way to approach a leadership issue, let’s talk about it.

The breadth and depth of customized services are as wide and deep as you need them to be and typically fall into one of four categories: •One-on-one Leadership Coaching •Leadership Team Development - Executive - Middle Management - Supervisory Teams •Company-Specific Leadership Project Work •Professional Speaking Services

“If you’re unsure of the best way to approach a leadership issue, let’s talk about it.”

Nancy Lewis and Aleta Norris, Living As A Leader co-founders

Customized Services

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One-on-One Leadership Coaching Coaching sessions are designed for individual professional development. Among its many benefits, one-on-one leadership coaching provides: •Targeted support •Support customized to the individual •A fresh, objective point of view with brutal honesty •A focus on helping leaders design what to do and what to say

Leadership Team Development Most leaders have two primary roles: 1) a leader of their employees, and 2) a member of their leadership team. Often, we are asked to support the ‘team effectiveness’ of a leadership team. Below are some examples of the types of support we offer: •Team assessment •Team map - A process for leadership teams to establish alignment

around many critical elements for team effectiveness. •Team conflict resolution •Team goals, priorities and actions

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Company-Specific Leadership Project Work Every company is different. Ask us how we can design leadership support specific to your company in the areas of: •Performance management systems •Custom-designed workshops •Large-scale leadership development initiatives •Accountability systems •Strategic alignment

Professional Speaking Services •Company quarterly and annual meetings •Professional associations •Keynote address

Part 4

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Learn More About Living As A LeaderOur clientsOur teamTestimonials

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Learn More About Living As A Leader

Our clients.

We have been blessed over the years with the privilege of helping leaders learn the skills necessary for effective leadership. Their willingness to improve, and their impact on those they lead, has a positive effect on company productivity and personal growth. Companies of all sizes and across industries have turned to us for help in developing their leaders. Some of those companies are listed here:

Advanced Waste Services, Inc. | American Transmission Control | Badger Meter, Inc. Batzner Pest Management | Bostik, Inc. | Bradley Corporation | Brady CorporationCars.com | Cerac, Inc. | Eppstein Uhen Architects | Harley Davidson, Inc.Helwig Carbon | InPro Corporation | InSinkErator, Inc. | Kenall Manufacturing Ladish Corporation | Linden Grove | Maysteel CorporationMedical College of Wisconsin | Milwaukee Center for Independence | Monster, Inc. North Shore Bank | Opus CMC | RW Baird | Rexnord | Steel King IndustriesStorage Solutions | Stratford Homes | The Novo Group | TJ Hale | Town Bank Veolia Environmental Services | We Energies | WEM Automation | WICPA Wisconsin Health Fund

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Our team

When you hire Living As A Leader, you’re getting seasoned professional development coaches every time. We invite you toview our credentials.

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Testimonials

On the classic scale of 1 to 10, our program participants graded YTD training a 9.2 (implementable value).

William ChristelVice President of Human Resources/ESH

Advanced Waste Services, Inc.

“…Many times we managed without thinking, as though through our experience we surely would be doing the right thing. Through Impact’s thoughtful guidance and coaching, we started really thinking about what we were doing and how we were managing, and we realized we weren’t as wonderful as we thought. Through their assessment, my own reflection and your thoughtful training, I rediscovered how critical my communication with others could and should be. It is far too important for me to not give critical thought to purposeful communication.… The Impact coaching process supported a replicable, thoughtful approach to evaluating my action and addressing next steps. Where else can a leader open themselves to find that support and not lose the necessary confidence that leadership requires?”

Gary Mohn, CEOAlexian Village of Milwaukee

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“I completed the professional development series back in 2005 and based on my overwhelmingly positive experience, I have been referring the Living As A Leader series as well as the Leadership Breakfasts to my staff and colleagues ever since. Living As A Leader provides tailored training and coaching for leaders with varying skill sets and strengths. Leadership is a critical component to our firm’s success - it impacts all levels of our organization – Living As A Leader is a good investment in the future talent of our business.”

Lori Lorenz, Human Resources Director Robert W. Baird & Co.

“Only two sessions in and the Living As A Leader series has provided me with some really valuable tools for improvements in my daily operations. Thank you for offering such a useful training series!”

April Haverty

Medical College of Wisconsin

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“In 2007, I hired Impact Consulting to work with my senior leadership team for a number of reasons. These included to:

1) Strengthen their visibility and practices as leaders at large in the organization

2) Improve their peer collaborations during critical meetings, as well as in their day-to-day work

3) Lead their functional areas more intentionally.

“This was not so much about techniques as it was the practice of leadership. Over time, as this team became more aligned and effective in their roles, the line outside my door diminished. This enabled me to be more effective in my role as CEO, with measurable time spent focusing on strategy and vision. I am very pleased with the value Impact Consulting contributed. “

Mike Draver, President Tempt In-Store Productions, Inc.

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“…Starting with our facilitation needs, building to program design and implementation and now consulting with our Executive staff and Board of Directors, Impact Consulting has consistently provided superior service. A major reason Impact Consulting is able to provide superior service is because they have the ability to clearly identify opportunities for improvement and, perhaps more importantly, clearly and consciously communicate the best way to address that opportunity. We will continue our relationship because Impact Consulting has set itself apart by applying its collective experience and expertise to our unique situations.”

steve MuellerInSinkErator Corporation

“Impact Consulting Group has been very beneficial in providing training, along with customized coaching, to our first-time managers and high potentials as they move into management roles. Impact facilitators capture the room, and our employees feel is it a huge benefit to be picked to attend the Living As A Leader training series.”

cindy luPresident and Co-Founder

The Novo Group

Part 5

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Getting started

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Getting started!

We welcome the opportunity to know more about you and the leadership development needs of your organization. Please contact us by phone at 262-821-8178 or by email.

You can gain an understanding of our style and unique way of developing leaders by joining us at one of our regularly- scheduled breakfast meetings. Leaders frequently tell us that attending a breakfast helps them become comfortable with our approach. If you’re attending for the first time, please come as our guest. When registering online, be sure to mark the first-time attendee box. To find out about the next leadership breakfast, visit our Breakfast Series schedule.

Schedule a conversation.

Do you have questions? Let’s discuss your leadership development priorities and share some ideas. Please call us to set up a time to meet.

True leadership is not something you learn once; it is an ever evolving pattern of skills, talents, and abilities that you craft and seek to perfect over a lifetime. Your leadership journey will never be finished. You are a wondrous work in progress!

A New Breed of Leader, by Sheila Murray Bethel, Ph.D.

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Invite us in to conduct a leadership assessment.

To assess the effectiveness of leadership at your company, we have processes in place to look at individuals or groups at any level, as well as the overall leadership culture.

Sign up for our monthly one-page book summary.

We believe an essential ingredient to growing in leadership effectiveness is consistent reading of ideas and best practices. Once a month, we summarize a book in a quick-read, one-page format. Sign up here to receive this great leadership tool.

Talk to some of our clients.

If you’re interested in speaking with any of our clients, please contact us. Let’s discuss the types of clients in which you’re interested. Call 262-821-8178 or send us an email here.

The fundamental task of leaders is to prime good feeling in those they lead. That occurs when a leader creates resonance – a reservoir of positivity that frees the best in people. At its root, then, the primal job of leadership is emotional.

Daniel Goleman, Primal Leadership

Thank you.

We appreciate your taking the time to learn more about the Living As A Leader™ services.

125 N. Executive DriveBrookfield, Wisconsin 53005p 262.821.8178www.livingasaleader.cominfo@livingasaleader.com

Living As A Leader is a service of Impact Consulting Group, LLC.

© 2010 Impact Consulting Group, LLC. All rights reserved. For more information, contact Living As A Leader, 125 N. Executive Drive, Brookfield, Wisconsin 53005.