The Accelerated Leadership Program: nurturing leadership through self-knowledge

On September 20th, the Superbet office in Bucharest hosted the graduation event of the Accelerated Leadership Program (ALP).?

A bespoke training concept, the mission of the ALP is to develop strong leadership skills at every level of the Superbet organization.?

Facilitated by Catalina Veneziano , Laura Niculescu , and Roxana Ene , Learning Architects at Superbet, the program aims to nurture the next generation of Superbet leaders, encouraging a leadership style anchored in knowing oneself and seeking continuous improvement. The outcome of these exercises would be to develop successful one-on-one relationships and build strong teams.?

The added value of this program also comes from the positive effect it has on talent attraction and from the contribution, it makes to the sustainability of the business, as stated by Danijela Jovicic , Director of Talent Development: There is a trend emerging around the globe that this program is aiming to address. As reports are showing us, a positive learning culture not only engages existing employees but can also help attract talented people who seek an employer that prioritizes learning.?

We strongly believe that connecting skill building to career pathing shifts learning, from a series of one-off courses to an impactful and sustainable business strategy. It also provides a consistent and reliable reason for employees to care about, remember, and apply their new skills.

With a program length of four months, stretching from May to September 2022, the ALP has brought together participants from various departments and countries in Superbet, reflecting the dynamic nature of our organization. Throughout this period, the courses also featured guest facilitators for certain sessions: Alexandra Sucioaia , Head of Talent Development, Mihaela Todoca (Florea) , Senior Learning Project Manager, Katarina Zibar (she/her) , Trainer, and Iulia Buciuman , Managing Partner at Humanistic Learning Ecosystem.?

The necessity and perspective of the training content were underlined by Marcello Magaletti , Chief Operating Officer of Superbet Group:

Often we confuse managers with leaders. In my perspective a true leader can take people on a successful journey of discovery, positively influencing outcomes of events, rallying people behind an innovative idea, taking accountability, and making people feel valued.?

The Accelerated Leadership Program teaches these principles and action paths in a very interactive and authentic manner, bringing together people from a variety of functions in Superbet. That ensures that they can learn from each other’s strengths and experiences.?

In order to create the ideal environment for growth through learning, one of the core functions of the program was building a strong partnership between participants, their managers, corresponding HR Business Partners, and the Talent Development team. ?

Alexandru Molico, Content Marketing Manager, focused on the importance of adaptability and knowledge sharing:

One of the key takeaways was discovering the Emergenetics profiles of my team members and other peers. Understanding how individuals have different approaches to problem-solving or manifest distinct social needs has helped me adapt my way of communication with each one of my fellow Superbetters.

Furthermore, throughout this training, I have been reassured that leadership is a continuous journey, not a fixed-point destination. Sharing knowledge with my team and constantly working on our development plans will remain the North Star when it comes to my style of leadership.?

Considering the eclectic nature of the trainee groups, the ALP addresses the needs of both managers at the beginning of their leadership journey, through the Foundations stream, and of managers looking to fine-tune their leadership skills, through the Advanced stream. ?

In essence, the structure of the ALP was based on three pillars, revolving around areas of leadership:?

• Leading Self: A selection of training topics and activities focused on improving fundamental leadership skills and the ability to project leadership presence.?
• Leading One-on-One: A selection of training topics and activities focused on improving one-on-one relationships across the organization.
• Leading Teams: A selection of training topics and activities focused on developing the leader’s ability to effectively manage their teams.

Laura Cassara , Lead Product & UX Researcher, shared her experience with the program’s three pillars: The ALP is an excellent exercise in self-awareness, where I learned how to recognize the type of social energy that people project in certain circumstances. As a result, I have developed my adaptive communication skills, to be closer to certain people and improve the collaborative aspect of our work while also delivering results.

I have also learned how to further empower my team members, preventing perfectionism from becoming an obstacle in my work. In further projects, I intend to handle change management scenarios not only by serving as an example of change but also by actively involving my colleagues in the change process.?

The Accelerated Leadership Program is an important milestone in the journey of continuous improvement for the people at Superbet. It also represents a commitment that our organization has made to the professional and human growth of our colleagues, creating a balanced mix of hard and soft skills.?

This is only a chapter of our people development story and there is much more to come, as our teams will continue to expand their scope of work and skill sets.?