National Medical Research Foundation: Executive Team Leadership Development and Coaching

THE CLIENT

A well-known national medical research foundation doubled in size over a five-year period, and this extremely rapid growth—while exciting—brought on a unique brand of challenges for the organization.

THE CHALLENGE / OPPORTUNITY

As happens in any fast-growing organization, employee roles shifted and the need for effective leadership became even more important within the expanding organization. The foundation recognized that they needed to take a step back and give extra attention to current and aspiring leaders, and to ensure that those leaders were prepared to take on additional responsibilities in the atmosphere of growth. Essentially, the foundation wanted to build an enduring culture of leadership development throughout the organization.

THE SOLUTION

The foundation identified a select group of employees who would take part in the first round of coaching, thereby serving as the model of what leadership development would look like within the organization. The foundation selected one departmental team to go through a group leadership development and coaching process, and separately picked two rising middle-managers to receive one-on-one coaching. Springboard assembled a team of six coaches located geographically near the foundation. Each individual and the group interviewed potential coaches and then selected the coach that best fit their personality and needs.

Over the next 12 months, the team of Springboard coaches facilitated discussions around a variety of leadership topics, set up coaching calls with each individual, and led the group participants through numerous leadership and group development activities. The participants in this process were able to work—both individually and as a group—on building the skills, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to become more capable and confident leaders.

THE RESULTS

As a result, one VP has reported that these individuals now demonstrate more proactive decision-making and a greater ability to work together without oversight. Through future projects with the Springboard team, the foundation is committed to developing a strong culture of leadership throughout the organization, where all leaders have the skills that they need to successfully steer their teams through the excitements and challenges of fast-paced growth and towards a bright future.