Gwen Gulick

HARVARD BUSINESS PUBLISHING DELIVERS BREAKTHROUGH LEADERSHIP PROGRAM FOR MID-LEVEL MANAGERS
Innovative Program Helps Develop Highly Connected and Effective Leaders


BOSTON – April 3, 2012 – Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning (www.harvardbusiness.org/corporate), the premier source for leadership development solutions, programs and content, today announced general availability of Breakthrough Leadership, a new blended, cohort-based program designed to help organizations transform mid-level managers into more effective leaders. The program provides organizations with an effective, research-based approach to develop busy mid-level managers, a critical audience that is often underserved.

Breakthrough Leadership (http://breakthroughleadership.harvardbusiness.org) gives managers an integrated, straightforward framework to approach their roles, prioritize their actions, and deliver stronger and more effective results. The program allows organizations to reach geographically dispersed managers, connecting them throughout a learning journey. Through live virtual sessions, self-study and reflection, and work-based learning, managers will develop the mindset and skills they need to become more effective leaders.

Optimized for cohorts of up to 50 participants, the program comprises six modules delivered over six months. The program offers opportunities to provide context to connect the program experience with a specific organization’s goals, helping to drive application use, behavior change, and business impact.

Breakthrough Leadership is based on research and work from Harvard Business School Professor Linda A. Hill and former business executive Kent Lineback. Their framework outlines three imperatives every manager must follow to be a successful and effective leader: manage yourself, manage your network, and manage your team.

Feedback on the Breakthrough Leadership Experience

Leaders from 23 organizations, including The Dow Chemical Company, Ecolab, MAPFRE U.S.A. Corp., Magellan Health Services, Merz Aesthetics, Paul Hastings, Seagate Technology, and Towers Watson, participated in a pilot of the program held earlier this year. Participants called out the combination of learning methods, the expert moderation of the live facilitated sessions, the rich, web-based platform, and the depth and the flow of the content as highly effective elements of the program.

Participants in the pilot went through one module of Breakthrough Leadership. Reactions to the experience included:
•       “The moderator was wonderful. Very engaging and kept up the interaction between the participants.”
•       “The mix of approaches to learning that was offered online and through virtual live discussion was impressive!”
•        “I really liked the style of the live (virtual) group discussions. The moderator was very engaging and web-based resources like polling and chat are incorporated very effectively.”
•       “We would use this for middle management to bridge strategy and execution.”

“We appreciate the participation of our clients in the pilot, especially their candid feedback that has helped us deliver an even stronger program,” said Ian Fanton, Vice President Global Sales and Marketing. “It’s clear from our work with clients that Breakthrough Leadership addresses a critical need – how to better engage and develop mid-level managers.”

Availability
Breakthrough Leadership is now generally available. For more information on the program, visit: http://breakthroughleadership.harvardbusiness.org.

About Harvard Business Publishing
Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning partners with clients to create world-class leadership development solutions for managers at all levels. We leverage 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. For more information, visit www.harvardbusiness.org/corporate