Case Study: Raising the leadership bar

A global automotive supplier with more than 50,000 employees wanted to enhance the leadership team in charge of its Poland manufacturing plant. Identified as being their most high-performing facility, the client wanted to give the local leadership team the opportunity to step back and reflect on how they could more effectively consider the market changes and prepare the plant for sustained success. They wanted the leadership team to move from being great, to excellent, whereby each team member felt engaged and empowered to lead and collaborate more effectively.

With proven experience of achieving success at a similar scale, Right Management were chosen as provider for this particular leadership development project.

The solution

Our first goal was to hold individual interviews with each of the participants to analyse the team dynamic, understand what they expected from the support, and identify their personal challenges and development objectives. We then used a strategic direction questionnaire and feedback sessions to examine the team’s existing leadership capabilities, and identify eight critical leadership behaviours needed for sustained organisational success moving forward.

These learnings were then used to inform the design of our development programme, taking each participant on a clear journey to becoming a more effective leader.

The finalised programme consisted of:

• Six interactive webinars: designed to help each leader become more resilient, adopt better communication techniques and drive improved performance within their teams to ensure each individual felt equipped to achieve their potential.
• Three individual 1:1 coaching sessions: with an experienced coach providing each leader with the opportunity to discuss and overcome any development challenges in a safe, and confidential environment.
• Two peer coaching sessions: where the team engaged with and learnt from each other, thus helping to strengthen the overall team dynamic and elevate each individual to becoming more impactful in-role.
• Measurement and closing: all participants provided feedback on how the support had impacted their ability to lead, and were invited to an individual session with the CEO to identify further development recommendations. We then held a closing workshop to provide the team with an opportunity to reflect on their progress, analyse the new and improved team dynamic and set additional objectives for the future.

The impact

The programme was considered a huge success, helping the client’s leadership team achieve:

• Clarity and alignment on the eight critical leadership behaviours, ensuring all leaders understood what was required to drive sustained organisational success
• Individual development, with 86% of team members agreeing the support programme was a worthwhile investment and a direct enabler of career enhancement
• Improved team dynamics, with participants citing their journey through the programme as the foundation for a more united leadership team.

Other key highlights include:

• 100% of participants agree they acquired new knowledge and skills from their programme
• 86% felt actively engaged throughout the support thanks to the energy and enthusiasm of our facilitators
• 86% said the webinars helped them develop key leadership capabilities
• 86% cite an ability to apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills directly to their job
• 71% agree the 1:1 and peer coaching sessions have helped them become better leaders

Following on from the success of the initial project, and with some changes having taken place within the leadership function, the client has opted to explore further support with us. The ambition of ‘phase two’ would be to enhance the leadership team’s ability to grow as individuals and as a team, with a particular focus on their capacity to coach their direct reports, build resilience and drive engagement.

“Before this project with Right Management, we were recognised within the organisation as a highly effective plant. But I wanted my team to raise the bar, develop trust in our workforce in the fact that we were also preparing for the future and show up in an even more aligned way. This work helped us clarify what we expected from our leaders, increase our own self-awareness but also that of other team members, and invest our team development on the leadership behaviours that mattered. The closing session was a testimony to the great work we did over these 9 months with Right Management.”