Building a Leadership Development Program
Introduction
This case study delves into the journey of a medium-sized global technology firm seeking to elevate leadership development beyond the C-suite level. By implementing a comprehensive leadership development program, the organization aimed to invest in their VP-level leaders and cultivate a culture of continuous learning and growth. This study presents the process and outcomes of the program, highlighting the impact on team collaboration, shared purpose, and individual leadership effectiveness.
Understanding the challenge
The organization recognized the need to extend their leadership development efforts to the VP level, fostering a collaborative and aligned leadership approach. Through a needs analysis process, individual interviews were conducted to assess the current state, strengths, and challenges of the leaders. The interviews revealed a silo effect within the VP-level team, with leaders primarily focusing on their individual departments and lacking a shared sense of purpose.
The Path to Development
A three-part leadership development program was designed, employing a train-the-trainer approach to ensure sustainability and scalability. The program spanned five months, consisting of on-site workshops held at the client's office. Each workshop targeted specific areas of growth and aimed to break down silos, foster alignment, and enhance team effectiveness.
Cultivating the Self in Leadership: The first workshop focused on self-awareness and leadership theories. Through Hogan Assessments and individual debrief sessions, leaders gained insights into their values, strengths, development opportunities, and stress behaviors. The workshop fostered discussions on team strengths, effective collaboration, and various leadership approaches.
Moving from Awareness to Intentionality: The second workshop centered around leading with purpose and creating alignment with the organization's goals. Participants explored the distinction between managers and leaders, learned to be proactive, and developed strategic plans for their departments. Reflection on personal values in relation to leadership style was also encouraged.
Building and Growing Effective Teams: The third workshop aimed to define the conditions necessary for effective teams. Exercises were conducted to establish clear expectations and norms within the VP-level team. Leaders were then tasked with implementing similar exercises within their own department teams to cultivate high performance.
Outcome & Impact
The workshops successfully addressed the silo effect identified in the initial interviews. By establishing a shared purpose and goals, the VP-level team began collaborating more closely. They now meet regularly to share progress, communicate challenges, and co-create solutions. The workshop series equipped leaders with tools for facilitating similar experiences within their own teams, resulting in explicit team norms, improved trust, enhanced communication skills, and increased effectiveness in conflict resolution. Leaders reported faster progress on team goals and a stronger sense of unity.
Sustainability and Future Development: To ensure ongoing development, HR leaders were trained to facilitate future workshops for newly promoted or hired leaders. This approach guarantees the continuity of the program, fostering a common leadership approach throughout the organization. By providing HR leaders with the necessary content and facilitation skills, the organization ensures consistent leadership development and continued growth in the years to come.
Through a strategic leadership development program, the technology firm successfully addressed the silo effect and fostered collaboration and shared purpose among their VP-level leaders. By cultivating self-awareness, aligning goals, and building effective teams, the organization created a culture of trust, collaboration, and continuous improvement. This case study demonstrates the power of investing in leadership development to drive positive organizational outcomes and lays the groundwork for future growth and success.