Context

A divisional CEO was promoted from a functional role to head a new business unit within the organisation. She needed to learn new skills for the role and rapidly demonstrate that she was an effective and confident leader who could produce results.

Objectives

1. To help build a strong leadership mindset for the new CEO; resilience, confidence, self-awareness and the ability to focus and adapt to changing situations.
2. To deliver a business agenda, focusing on:
   • Creating a vision for the future of the business
   • Strategy – clarifying the key organisational priorities
   • Metrics – defining success measures for the vision
   • Leadership brand – defining the CEO’s authentic leadership story
   • Talent – identifying top talent and inspiring that talent to join a new business.
   • Stakeholders – developing relationships both internally and externally
   • Senior management – gaining support from the board and chairman

Alexander Programme Structure

A combination of whole day shadowing, one-to-one, two hour sessions and shorter phone conversations over an initial four month period, followed by regular monthly two hour, one-to-one meetings over the following eight month period.

Alexander also carried out a thorough, bespoke, verbal 360 feedback process – meeting with the CEO’s direct reports, peers and other more senior stakeholders to gain deeper insight.

Objectives

• Alexander became a trusted partner with whom to bounce ideas and formulate a strategy in a safe space, giving the CEO greater confidence.
• Through the work on developing a leadership mindset, the CEO was able to make tangible breakthroughs in terms of her performance, leading her to strengthen her credibility and reputation within the organisation.
• By developing a clear organisational purpose and agenda, the CEO was able to gain the clarity and focus that she needed to identify priorities and effectively grow the business.

Conclusion

The partnership between Alexander and the CEO proved to be successful; in terms of both the quality of leadership it developed and also in terms of the growth of the business.