What We Did
This incoming MD looked to implement a new business strategy for his region, based on a more proactive approach to client acquisition and retention and with the aim of targeting investment in several high-growth opportunities. The new strategy highlighted a need to rethink the nature of leadership at the firm, as it struggled to maintain its competitive position.
Reporting to a small steering group comprising the MD, the HRD and two Senior Partners, Deep C set about developing a ‘leadership blueprint’ for the firm, based on desk research, questionnaires, leader interviews and focus groups. This high-engagement, iterative process involved the reporting and validation of emerging findings and preliminary recommendations with the Steering Group over a three-month period.
The ‘blueprint’ for this client opened by articulating their aspirational ‘leadership advantage’, based on the new business strategy and the factors critical to its success. There followed an analysis of gaps between current and desired state in terms of leader demographics, skills/behaviour and collective capabilities, as well as a deep-dive into leadership culture within the firm and how this could be shaped to support the new leadership and business strategy.
Finally, the blueprint addressed the theme of leadership development; how current and future leaders needed to grown and develop, together with the implications for existing talent management practices across the firm. The leadership blueprint concluded with a phased action plan that was linked to key milestones in the implementation of the firms’ new business strategy
The Leadership Advantage
- A practical plan for ensuring the firm would have the right leaders for their strategy – and the right strategy for leadership
- Greater coherence between the new client-focused business strategy, the firm’s evolving culture and its future leadership
- Clear investment priorities for leadership development; a previously neglected area for the firm
- The project catalysed difficult conversations about leadership and its role in helping shape the firm’s traditional culture.