Challenge:
The executive leadership team of a privately-held family of companies in residential real estate wanted to ensure the next generation of leaders was adequately prepared to step into senior leadership roles. Each leader had previously engaged with CCI for executive coaching services and identified the leadership competencies required for the future success of the organization. To support the developmental efforts of their leaders, the leadership team recognized that they needed to broaden the learning opportunities for their high-potentials and prepare them to assume more responsibility by stepping into an executive leadership role.
Solution:
CCI’s Talent Development consultants designed a High-Potential Leadership Development Program anchored in the identified leadership competencies to help the rising leaders increase their self-awareness and build critical skills to prepare them for more senior roles and expanded responsibilities. Program participants were selected using identified criteria by the company presidents. To ensure equitable distribution of participant slots, the number of participants for each company was based on proportional size. The six-session, multifaceted leadership development program occurred over an eight-month period and consisted of:
- A self-assessment to increase their self-awareness around critical leadership competencies needed for operating at more senior levels
- Six facilitated workshops that were identified as skill gaps by the senior leadership team
- A team action learning project that created the mechanism for applying newly found knowledge and skills to real-world strategic problems. The topics were selected by the senior leadership team
The project culminated with group presentations of their projects to the Senior Leadership Team.
Results:
The program’s success was measured in two ways: Participant response via session evaluations and participants elevated into more senior roles or expanded responsibility. In aggregate, 91% of the participants agreed or strongly agreed that they would be a stronger performer as a result of attending the workshops. Additionally, of the 16 participants, four were promoted into a more senior role within a year of attending the program. One of the participants was made a company President and another was promoted to Chief Information Officer. The organization is currently planning follow-up activities for the original group and efforts are under way to create the next cohort.