People & Culture

Leaders Developing Leaders: Transforming Followership to Leadership to Propel Business

At A Glance

The United Alliance (UA) guided its Client's executive team through a leadership transformation program, to prepare the client for its future growth. The program included collaborative training, 1-on-1 coaching, and the apprenticeship method to teach and apply the strategic mindset. UA implemented a system of practical application of transformational competencies and frameworks, designed to yield immediate impact to the individual leaders, as well as benefit company objectives. By connecting actions to strategy and company Purpose, UA not only elevated individual leadership capabilities but also harmonized their development with the evolving needs of the organization. This holistic development strategy created an environment poised to drive and sustain the client's growth.

The Situation:

As UA clients planned to scale their business, they needed to instill their leadership team with improved strategic capabilities. The organizational structure was flat, without many hierarchical layers, and was designed to empower the team to make decisions in their areas of the business. But in practice, the varying departments operated in silos, and without an understanding of a cohesive executable strategy for the global organization. Operational decision-making was pushed up to the top executive levels with a better birds eye view, rendering people with departmental leadership titles to function beneath their grade, focused on transactional tasks instead of strategic actions.

The Ask

UA was asked to transform the client's people and culture from a state of followership to one of leadership. The transformation program would consist of a series of strategic mindset competencies plus a group of functional business frameworks, that together provided technical expertise and an understanding of how to use and apply. Core to the team's development would be an inward reflection that connected the team to the company's shared purpose, which would enable the effective creation of strategy to achieve the mission.

The Solution:

During the transformation program, UA continually assessed the leadership team's progression through applied understanding and decision-making. The program began with a focus on strategic mindset, utilizing UA competencies, Systems Thinking, Critical Thinking, and Structured Problem Solving. Next was a transition into the creation of functional strategies for each business area. Then UA introduced operational frameworks such as commercial and financial analysis, supplier relationship management, and strategic sourcing to guide practical application and achieve the strategic goals. The program concluded with the Value Creation framework, enabling the quantification and prioritization of decisions through financial levers, clarifying the path to achieving the organization’s mission.

UA evaluated the impact of the transformation on each leader by assessing their application of concepts in their functional roles. The transformation progress was evaluated across five phases:

Awareness:

Understanding knowledge gaps and the value of developing competencies.
Team members are exposed to the knowledge/skill.
Raise awareness of the knowledge deficit and the value of the new skill.

Recognition:

Increased focus on building knowledge and collaboration.
Team members recognize and understand the need for the new process.
Raise recognition, provide clarity, and build the confidence required for the change.

Exploration:

Reflecting on concepts and recognizing the need for behavior change.
Team members become immersed in the change – apply, learn, reflect, and discuss.
Explore the impact of the change – to the individual, work and the surrounding environment.

Doing:

Applying learned competencies and skills in real scenarios.
Team members accept the change – continue to apply concepts (independently) to achieve demonstrable results.
Accept and apply learning, concepts and the impacts of the change.

Being:

Developing new standards and routines, resulting in improved outcomes.
Team members represent the change – they embody the change and are enthusiastic promoters.
Being translates the work activities performed; from "what" we do to "who" we are now.

Real Impact:

The transformational leadership program orchestrated by United Alliance has significantly reshaped our client's leadership dynamics and
yielded profound organizational benefits. Our tailored program facilitated a cultural shift from reactive execution to proactive leadership,
empowering the team to lead the client’s growth. Leaders emerged as catalysts for change, championing and embedding new behaviors
that spurred widespread improvements throughout the company.

Key outcomes of this transformation included:

Adoption of a strategic mindset enabled leaders to create 8 new regional and functional strategies, which were in sync with the company's objectives for aggressive and profitable growth.
Enabled clear direction and fostered a culture of collaboration and ownership, with the prioritization of resources aligned with strategic activities.
Established 6 Leadership Progression Plans that guided leader development. Applied a Competency Matrix that highlighted the capabilities needed for continued growth.
Trained 8 Program Champions that embedded the desired mindsets, behaviors, & competencies to promote the sustainment of
transformation beyond the UA engagement.