CASE STUDY:
Reframing Leadership Development
The Challenge
A Director of Education engaged me to design and facilitate a leadership development program for experienced professionals who had recently stepped into significant leadership responsibilities. Many had deep technical expertise but had received little support in navigating the transition from individual contributor to leader.
The Approach
Early conversations revealed that the initial request, developing coaching skills, was only one part of a much broader need. I worked with the sponsor to clarify what success would actually look like and together, we reframed the engagement as an integrated leadership journey.
The design also had to account for a practical reality: attendance would vary. Each module needed to build on the last while still providing value to participants entering the series at different points.
Throughout the design process, I drew on coaching, learning design, and organization development to translate broad aspirations into practical learning experiences that reflected both the organization's goals and the realities participants faced.
The Outcome
The result was a six-module leadership development program that created a coherent learning experience despite changing attendance and competing operational demands. Participants could enter the series at different points while still gaining practical tools and approaches they could apply in their day-to-day work.
Equally important, the sessions created space for leaders to learn from one another. Participants were highly engaged in the discussions, sharing experiences, finding validation in common challenges, and building a shared language around leadership.
The sponsor gained a scalable program aligned with her vision and the organization’s broader leadership goals.
