Developing Leadership competency in the Head of a regional NGO to ensure she became the ‘candidate of choice’ for the enhanced role of Director for the Region, of the larger NGO that was absorbing her organisation after the merger of all the various associated bodies.
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To identify and fill the leadership gaps required to fulfil the enlarged role.
Client Profile
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The organisation was organised on a Regional basis.
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The client was the Head of one of the component bodies for Wales.
Keywords
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Not for Profit sector, optimising candidacy for new role, leadership competency development,
360-degree feedback.
Background
The regional NGO body employing the leader was due to be disbanded, when all the various associated bodies dealing with discrimination were to be merged into an enlarged National Commission
The new organization would be much larger than the previous component parts as a wider variety of issues were to be addressed in the one combined.
All the Senior Regional posts as well as central positions in London were advertised and recruited via top London Headhunters.
Our client, as Head of one of the Regional Offices, was very keen to apply for the new position of Director of the enlarged Commission for Wales.
She had been given insights that the key to success in the enlarged role would be effective leadership.
Desired Outcomes/Goals:
The client’s stated objective for coaching was to develop the competencies that would make her the unbeatable candidate of choice for the new role.
The focus was to enhance her leadership and influencing to a new level.
Intervention:
The first stage was to undertake a LEIPA 360-degree assessment, with raters including relevant organisational colleagues who might be consulted during the selection process, including Welsh Assembly members; followed by a debrief which highlighted key strengths and development areas.
Once these were understood, the process progressed with 6 x 2hr coaching sessions addressing these issues and fostering a deeper understanding how leadership, climate and culture impact performance.
New Leadership behaviours were experimented with and assessed during sessions to take further learning and embed positive development.
Specific preparation for the assessment process also formed part of the content.
Sessions continued monthly throughout the stages of the selection and assessment process.
Success Against Desired Outcomes:
- Client was unanimously appointed to the position of Director for Wales by the panel.
- Feedback after the selection panel, from the Chief Executive of the new body, identified clearly that it was the focus on leadership excellence and the understanding demonstrated by the client that made the panel unanimous in its decision.