Challenge

Steve was a very capable leader, but he often felt as though he was leading blindfolded. He had the knowledge, the experience, and the drive to succeed, but he knew that something was holding him and his business back.  

Without a clear, structured approach to business and people management, he found himself sometimes overwhelmed by his most challenging leadership issues, unsure of which tools and strategies to use in the most important moments. It became clear to him that bridging the gap between his potential and his performance was the next step.

Since we all have blind spots - those invisible and unknown issues that hold us all back, Steve started his journey with us by taking our Leadership Assessment. The assessment is based on our Leadership Success model that examines the five key areas where great leaders excel, plus the twenty specific skills that all top performers have perfected. The results from the assessment become the critical benchmark from which we can measure and demonstrate real growth.

Think of it as a GPS for your leadership development. It shows exactly where you are today and highlights the very quickest route to become the leader your people need and your business deserves.

The results of the assessment formed the foundation of Steve’s development plan, which included daily guided self-reflection, one-to-one Coaching Sessions with an executive coach, access to our leadership library, as well as annual Leadership Assessments to track progress and demonstrate solid ROI over time.

Based on each set of assessments results, our team set specific goals for Steve's development. As well as fully-immersing himself in the program aimed at developing his skills overall, Steve, like all of our leaders, paid particular focus to three key competencies each year - the three key competencies that would move the needle the most.  

This personalized approach allowed Steve to set clear and measurable goals and a structured plan to follow, supported by a community of like-minded individuals every step of the way.

Our Interview with Steve

Because we couldn’t say it nearly as well as he, here’s what Steve had to say in his own words:

If you think back to before you started the program, what would you say were the key leadership challenges that you faced?

It was definitely a case of 'you don't know what you don't know.' Once I discovered all these leadership models and tools that I had never been exposed to, everything changed. Understanding these principles creates real growth opportunities. But here's the thing - having a tool belt full of electrical tools is useless if you don't know how to use them, right? The game-changer was learning which model or tool to apply in different situations. That understanding made all the difference to me. Remember too, when I use tools to demonstrate to my team why we were going in one direction over another, I was training them too – and that’s the power of this program: as we learn, we teach others.

What has been your biggest area of improvement since joining the program? 

Probably fully understanding what motivates people - understanding how to motivate and communicate with direct reports and other people is vital. ‘Direct reports’ can also includes kids, spouse, family and friends, of course. The understanding that everybody doesn’t speak the same language, and how to adapt the message so it’s totally applicable for different people. Be that as a business, or as a father, or as a friend, and just trying to help in whatever function you’re doing - invaluable.

Have there been any stand-out moments, significant achievements or successes resulting from the program?

Yeah - 100%. It's seen within the people; those direct reports that gain that confidence, skill set and leadership ability themselves. I believe that wisdom is meant to be shared, so to take those principles and to share them, encourage them and build them up, and then talk about it with others is important to me. Say, hey, look how this applies in all of these different areas. It's fun to see it click and see that fire within them. I had conversations with a direct report and said, “I wish I would have known this when I was a younger father, like how to interact with my kids and what kind of response I’m pulling out”, so that's probably been the most fun is to see that, I guess, generational trickle-down effect.

What have people said about you since you've been through the program?

I think the thing that probably stands out the most would be just not poisoning the well and “leaders speaking last,” - understanding that real leaders don't have to have everything to say, right? You don't have to solve every problem. But you organize people, lean in on their specialties and skill sets, and let them lead, and a good leader does precisely that. They let people lead instead of being the one that's like constantly trying to take the credit or constantly trying to be the one speaking. 

When did you start to see significant or measurable improvements in your leadership?

I’d say after about 6 months. I needed time to understand the principles so I could apply them. I’m a visual, practical learner, so jumping in, getting some experience, and then going back to refresh worked best for me. It wasn’t just about words or concepts - it was about seeing how they applied. As the story built, I saw that a good leader is a good storyteller. Concepts like "eat the frog," "run to the roar," and "green light days" started to make sense. It’s always about leadership, and it’s never about you, but somehow, it’s always your fault and that’s the leadership cross that we all bear, right?