Developing Leadership Style - Case Study

Business Context Having experienced rapid worldwide growth, an international arts business with operations in 43 countries was undergoing a period of consolidation due to the uncertain economic outlook. As part of an expanded marketing team, our client was promoted to International Head of Marketing Strategy, a highly strategic role focused on defining a radical and more cost-effective marketing strategy for the organisation’s 85 global offices. A major part of the role was to motivate the rest of the team with an inspirational vision, encouraging regional buy-in to a fundamental global strategic shift. The client’s success in such a challenging role was wholly dependent on her ability to engage key business leaders and stakeholders.

The Challenge Prior to her promotion, our client was exceptionally effective in an operational role, with powerful strategic and analytical skills. However, despite delivering great results in her new role, her passionate and exuberant nature could sometimes—by her own admission—manifest itself as autocracy. This leadership style would then override the need to influence and collaborate with others. She agreed that her effectiveness could be enhanced by “building an ability to engage the business”. Together with her line manager, the International Marketing Director, she agreed a number of personal objectives based on building better personal relationships, developing a more flexible style, listening more and delegation. These formed the basis of our coaching, along with an agenda to develop a talented functional expert into an effective business manager.

Coaching Approach Our approached consisted of eight meetings over the course of twelve months. It encompassed multiple starting points that reflected the complexity of the role and the organisational context.

Early in the process, 360º feedback was gathered, discussed and explored to pinpoint key strengths and weaknesses.

The client constructed a business success model that gave her an opportunity to consider the key business drivers and hard outcomes of the role, and to link this to the leadership style required to deliver results.

Critical incident coaching was used to prepare the client to handle key situations, with a lot of emphasis placed on review and learning.

An analysis of key business stakeholders was undertaken, with conscious decisions made about where time, energy and focus should be spent.

Outcomes and actions were reviewed at each session, with brutal honesty about successes and failures. Learning was then discussed.

The entire programme was reviewed in the final session, following a process where the client gathered examples of both business and personal impact from key stakeholders, such as her boss and peers.

A scorecard was used to rate performance against key objectives at the start, during and at the end of the programme.

By developing leadership and influencing management style, an individual can be transformed, credibility increased and business performance ignited.

Business Impact Through developing the client’s management skills and influencing her leadership style, she was able to make a significant impact on company performance, as reported by the International Marketing Director:

“She operates at a new level of sophistication and skill. She has established the authority and credibility to make change happen; she has impact and is listened to. The entire approach to marketing changed. We are fully up-selling, cross-selling and re-activating our customers. She has created a marketing strategy rather than a promotional strategy. The budget has gone from being a cost line into a profit line. Costs have been reduced by 82%, and run into millions. The value of sales has gone up by 25%. She has managed to reach out to people who otherwise would not have bought.”

From the client’s perspective:

“The spirit of this coaching programme was one of deep understanding. We built this early and trust was complete. The coach brought with her a hard edge of challenge. This was sometimes delivered with speed and disarming simplicity…and sometimes imperceptibly. I came to notice things that were previously unseen. She made suggestions; she listened. Everything was discussed with deep empathy and from a position of great care. My team is more engaged and the change of approach created the base line for me to become responsive, listen to the business and to implement change.”

Developing Leadership Style continued

Objective Movement during coaching

(1=poor, 10=excellent)

Stakeholder Feedback

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Senior level personal relationships

“However good you are, you have to engage with the business. She operates at a new level of sophistication and skills. Marketing experts have come and gone… but the business now listens to her because they are comfortable with her and how she engages” Line Manager

Flexibility of style and therefore influence

“She has invested time in influencing and persuading others… and won them over to new ways as a result”

Inclusive / collaborative style

“The new approach to marketing has been institutionally engrained within the organisation. The data driven CRM strategy has gone from theory to practice. We now believe it and own it” Senior Business Head

Listening and concise communication

“Less of the machine gun verbiage”

Delegation “The difference between campaign XXX and campaign YYY was noticeable and a huge improvement because the team engaged with line specialists”

Work-life balance “Bar some exceptions I don’t work weekends any more. This was unthinkable 3 years ago”

For more details please contact:

Lisa Williams Head of Executive Coaching Practice T: +44 (0) 7776 460604 lisa.williams@oxford-group.com

Sheena Porter Director, Chief Operating Officer T: +44 (0)7831 421566 sheena.porter@oxford-group.com

The Oxford Group marketing@oxford-group.com www.oxford-group.com