A financial and insurance organization had made a commitment to developing a workforce that would reflect the changing face of America. They wanted a diverse population of employees that would mirror the face of their customers and build a strong leadership bench to drive business results. Part of that commitment involved a special focus on the development of women in leadership, in both sales roles and management positions, as part of its strategy to maintain its status as a world-class company.
An LRI consultant partnered with executives from the client organization tasked with developing a women’s leadership strategy. The LRI consultant helped design and implement a year-long program of leadership development designed specifically for high-achieving women.
The consultant provided the content, program structure, and delivery of the program, as well as consulting on the selection process for participants and measuring results.
During the roll-out of the leadership development program, there was an emphasis on the individual personal and professional vision and goals of each participant, as well as a clear line of sight to the client organization’s goals for performance and productivity.
The program was implemented successfully with astonishing results. Assessments of participants were conducted throughout the program and at the end of the year, and results were overwhelmingly positive. Participants noted important changes in their commitment to the company, their sense of empowerment and leadership in their roles, and their view of their company as one committed to the advancement of women – an important metric for recruitment and retention in a male-dominated field. Actual results in performance, productivity, and profitability were also measured, revealing that not only had participants become stronger leaders through the program, they had also significantly increased their value to the organization.
To strengthen the program in its second year, LRI worked with its internal partners in the organization to clarify more specific organizational and individual goals for the program and its participants. The involvement of alumnae was added to the program, in which past participants became mentors for new members. The program was eventually expanded to other parts of this global organization and was being showcased as a model in joint partnership with LRI at conferences and for awards.