Each level was carrying the work of the level below.
Technically excellent leaders were keeping projects moving by working longer hours and covering for stressed teams. Bottlenecks had formed at each level. Technical directors needed to lead teams and coach managers; senior leaders needed room for business development and strategy. Long meetings produced unclear actions, while some leaders protected their own P&Ls by holding on to engineering talent rather than sharing it.
After Reported after
A clearer pathway for responsibility and coaching.
After the 120-day intensive, all five reported team-assessment measures had increased. Relationships rose from 37% to 72% and capacity from 32% to 65%. Monthly virtual groups continued the development through the year.
Changes in practice
The starting need and the changes reported.
AreaBeforeReported after
Leadership
Before
Senior people worked longer hours and covered for stressed teams.
Reported after
Defined expectations and coaching playbooks for three levels of leadership.
Capacity
Before
Scarce engineering talent was held within individual P&Ls.
Reported after
Leaders examined the incentives behind resource sharing and worked on shared business outcomes.
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What we did
Inspired built a Career Accelerator around leaders of the business, leaders of leaders and leaders of teams. Each group learned what it needed to own, how to coach the level below and how to create space for its own development.
Define responsibility at each level
With the managing team, we clarified the pathway, the management and leadership skills required, and what ownership looked like for each group.
Coach through virtual cohorts
Each cohort practised the skills and conversations its mentees needed to succeed. A coaching playbook gave each group a simple way to develop people through real work.
Examine the incentives behind silos
Behavioural economics and game theory—including Nash equilibrium—helped senior leaders examine how individually rational choices could sustain an unhelpful pattern of resource hoarding. The discussion focused on incentives and shared business outcomes.
Keep development in the working rhythm
A 120-day intensive phase moved into monthly virtual groups for the year, supporting continued mentoring, responsibility and shared learning.
Applying this to your team
Start by agreeing the behaviour you want to change, the situations in which it matters and how you will review progress. We can use examples from your current work to shape the engagement and establish a useful starting point.
