Build your presence as a leader and motivate others
to align their commitments with the success of your
credit union!

Program At-A-Glance

DAY ONE: WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2010

7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
Registration

8:30 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
Course Orientation
Attendees are welcomed, introductions made and participants oriented.

9:15 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Uncovering the Foundation of an Effective Leader
and Building Your Own Leadership Style
Have you ever wondered why when some people walk into a crowded room, the audience just settles immediately into a hush? Or why some executives just seem to be more effective at getting groups of employees to work together to generate great results? In this session, you will learn the key components needed to build an effective presence; discover how an effective presence can cultivate trust to help ensure successful outcomes; and understand how to make yourself available and responsive. Discuss how you build your own personal leadership style and where you are in the process. At the end of this session, you will be able to identify your own strengths and weaknesses, learn how to leverage your strengths and address weaknesses, and cultivate the presence you seek.

10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Break

10:30 a.m. - Noon
Understanding the Body of a Leader
You experience this every day – non-verbal cues can mean just as much (and sometime more) than what you say. Exemplary leaders have an increased awareness of their own energy levels, moods and reactions, and how their presence can open or close possibilities with others. Learn how to create and interpret a presence through body language and discover how your moods and assessments affect others. You will observe various presences and interpret how they affect trust, engagement and “followship”. Learn the fundamental concept and practice of Centering and its impact on leadership conversations and actions.

Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Managing Conflict Resolution
Conflict is inevitable, especially where change is involved, and this is when leadership skills are needed the most. This session will demonstrate how you and others are “grabbed” in conflict. You will learn how to build a capacity to manage moments of conflict as an essential leadership skill, and through hands-on exercises, gain an understanding of your own tendencies in conflict. Then you will learn new strategies for handling conflict so the end result is in line with your and your organization’s goals. You will practice different techniques that will help leverage your presence to achieve desired outcomes during conflict resolution.

3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Break

3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Building a Centered Presence in Action
Great leaders have an ability to rise above the tactical issues that too often dominate our agenda, to understand and act upon a larger strategic perspective. We describe these leaders as having a ‘centered presence’, which is an essential skill of exemplary leaders. In this session, you will learn how to become more intimately familiar with your own tendencies in action; understand how your tendencies affect your orientation to leadership; and how you can develop a more centered presence to influence others with greater ease.

4:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Integration of Day’s Learning and Relevancy of Your Role
During this session, you will have the opportunity to bring forth your real-life issues, discussion and practices, relevant to your personal goals and challenges, while integrating the day’s learnings.

4:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Summary and Adjournment

5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Dinner (on own)

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Optional/Elective
Wisdom Circle
In this optional, informal session, you will be a part of a guided conversation about the evolving roles of leadership and how we can remain genuine to ourselves and what we care about.

DAY TWO: THURSDAY, AUGUST 12, 2010

7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
Continental Breakfast

8:30 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
Convene and Open Space

8:45 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Declaring Your Personal Leadership Vision
Having learned about the key components of leadership the first day of the course, you will be challenged to develop your own personal ‘leadership declaration’ that will articulate the leadership presence that will move you forward more effectively. The process of articulating where you want to be in terms of leadership presence helps frame the change you seek for yourself, how you seek to be with others in your leadership, and what you need to do to accomplish it.

10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Break

10:30 – Noon
Facing into Difficulty: Railers and Derailers in Presence
There is always someone in the room whose first reaction is ‘no, we can’t do that,’ followed by a dozen reasons. Maybe their position under the existing status quo is threatened, maybe they are uncomfortable with change, or just have a ‘passive-aggressive’ management style. Your presence as a leader is the most valuable tool in dealing with ‘derailers’ by building engagement, moving dialog forward and encouraging people into effective coordination. During this session, you will explore and practice common methods for success as well as learn how to deal with common disruptions. You will also discover and practice how to leverage a strong presence in ways that are not viewed as authoritarian, but instead remain inviting and allow you to blend with other stakeholders.

Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Recognizing Your Role: Coordinating and Blending
As noted in the previous session, it can be all too easy to fall into an authoritarian management style to affect change or be perceived as being ‘too direct’. In the long term, that style fails to develop or engage other leaders. Leaders must guide as well as blend with others to support effective collaboration, coordination and mentoring. In this session, you will practice how to adapt yourself and your presence to ensure others feel empowered, listened to, welcomed, compelled, and valued by learning how to perceive the needs and tolerances of others without acquiescing.

3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
Break

3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Holding and Rebuilding Dignity in a Breakdown
Nobody is perfect, least of all leaders, and we all encounter breakdowns in action and in trust. In this session you will learn and practice how to successfully manage these moments and how to use your presence effectively to rebuild dignity.

4:15 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Personal Work: Leadership Development Plan
Create a personal leadership development plan based on your priorities and goals. You will evaluate the resources required and outline supporting practices needed to build and sustain your desired presence. The leadership coaches will be on hand to help you integrate the course learnings into your plan of action.

4:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Summary and Adjournment

5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Dinner (on own)

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Optional/Elective
Building the Leader’s Strength, Vitality and Sustainability
Inevitably, whenever we take on declarations and make commitments, there are things that get in our way. At this point, if we want to succeed, we need to fight for what we are committed to – not a fight against something, but a fight for something. Being in leadership requires an enduring and rooted presence to sustain a vision through resistance, and this evening’s work will help you build your capacity to ‘stay the course’.

DAY THREE: FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2010

7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
Continental Breakfast

8:30 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
Welcome and Check-in

8:45 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
Your Leadership Offer and the Art of Followership
By definition, leaders need followers. This session focuses on how to use your presence in structuring a leadership “offer” to prospective followers. Key to the process of attracting followers is being seen as genuine and inviting. Through the morning sessions, each person will be supported in developing their own leadership offer, practice it before the group, and receive generative feedback to build their desired presence.

10:15 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Break

10:30 a.m. – Noon
Your Leadership Offer (continued)
We will continue practices in building and sustaining your leadership presence.

Noon – 1:00 p.m.
Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Making Your New Presence Second Nature
This last session integrates all of the leadership practices learned in the Building an Executive Presence course. You will participate in an exercise that simulates the chaos and challenges that executives face each and every day, on their team, in their organization and in their personal life. This is an opportunity to practice what you have learned in order to return to work and immediately implement your practices with greater ease and effectiveness.

2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Adjournment

State Department Federal Credit Union has used the leadership skills and initiatives of DDJ Myers to further several of our executive leadership objectives. leadership positions. The DDJ Myers approach to leadership development and team building is unique. Their skilled approach to interpersonal relationships has led us to better communications models. We view DDJ Myers not just as a vendor, but a friend to credit unions.

10.8.09
- Marlene E. Schwartz
Chairman
State Department Federal Credit Union
$1.1B

"The Advancing Leadership Institute and its programs is a MUST for any executive seeking to improve their professional skills and effectiveness. Perhaps the most valuable part of the program is the coaching from the Advancing Leadership team. The coaching has made the difference for me, between being a good executive and being an outstanding executive"

10.6.09
Mark Pugliese. CFO
Michigan Educational Credit Union
$556M