InspiredSTEMPEOPLE · PERFORMANCE · IMPACTBook a 20-minute callCase study 2 · Breaking the leadership bottleneck
Critical-infrastructure design and delivery
The engagement at a glance
Reported results
The bars compare team-assessment scores before and after the engagement. What do the five measures mean?
Before The starting point
A successful end-to-end delivery company depended on a few highly capable senior leaders to anticipate problems and control risk. Growing demand and diversification required another level of management to step forward. Emerging leaders were used to extensive support and reassurance; senior leaders needed confidence that they could let others lead through uncertainty.
After Reported after
All five reported team-assessment measures increased. Alignment and execution both reached 92%, and relationships rose from 43% to 89%. The work focused on developing leaders who could plan, adapt and take ownership, with senior leaders coaching them as they did so.
The starting need and the changes reported.
Emerging leaders relied on senior leaders to remain the go-to point.
Leaders practised taking responsibility while senior colleagues supported them without taking control.
Growth required confidence in handling unfamiliar situations.
Daily feedback, decision tools and a continuing leadership and mentoring programme.
Inspired brought British Army coaches and experienced leadership coaches together for a Lake District bootcamp. Changing conditions made preparation, judgement and ownership visible. A company leadership programme and a simple mentoring framework carried the learning back into work.
Leaders received each day's brief that morning. They practised planning well enough to adapt when conditions changed, with coaches observing how they assessed the situation, worked together and made decisions.
Senior leaders became members of the emerging leaders' teams. This gave both groups practice: taking ownership, offering support and allowing someone else to lead without taking control.
Live 360-degree reviews with Army and leadership coaches examined the choices people made, how the team experienced them and what to try differently the next day.
Observe what is happening; orient to the wider situation and intent; decide on a proportionate next step; act and review. A seven-question Mission Mindset planning format helped leaders anticipate problems and reduce dependence on reassurance, while keeping clear routes for advice and escalation.
A leadership programme supported emerging leaders. Senior leaders used a repeatable 45-minute mentoring framework to coach judgement and responsibility in everyday work.
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.
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