Marc Foglino: Leadership, Culture, and Driving ROI Through Coaching

Marc Foglino: Leadership, Culture, and Driving ROI Through Coaching

In a recent conversation with Marc Foglino , a seasoned leadership coach with a background in business strategy and development, he shared key insights on leadership effectiveness, culture transformation, and how organizations can achieve long-term ROI through strong leadership principles. His mission is clear: unlocking human potential and reinventing workplaces for enhanced well-being.

From Strategy to Leadership Coaching

Marc’s transition from strategy and business development to leadership coaching was driven by his long-term aspiration to enhance workplace well-being. His strategic background shapes his approach to coaching, emphasizing long-term value creation with actionable coaching principles. “Strategy is all about thinking ahead and creating sustainable value,” Marc explained. His experience allows him to guide leaders toward decisions that not only impact their immediate teams but also drive long-term business success.

Tackling Turnover: The Leadership Gaps That Drive Attrition

Employee retention remains a top concern for organizations, and according to Marc, leadership plays a crucial role in turnover. The three key factors that contribute to employee departures are:

1. Toxic Workplace Culture – When employees feel unsupported or work in an unhealthy environment, they leave.
2. Poor Leadership – A lack of trust, micromanagement, and ineffective leadership are major drivers of turnover.
3. Lack of Growth Opportunities – Employees need to see a future within the organization. Without development and progression, they seek opportunities elsewhere.

Marc emphasizes that leaders who seek coaching already demonstrate a level of self-awareness, which is the first step toward building a high-retention culture. Leadership coaching can address these gaps by fostering essential skills such as emotional intelligence, trust-building, and the ability to provide meaningful recognition. By addressing these leadership gaps, organizations can reduce costly turnover and retain top talent.

Creating High-Performance Cultures

Marc breaks down an effective culture-building formula into three core elements:

1. Mindset – Leaders must adopt a growth mindset and continuously learn.
2. Behaviors – Role modeling the right behaviors fosters alignment.
3. Environment & Systems – Structures must reinforce the right mindset and behaviors and link to a shared purpose to sustain cultural change.

One example Marc shared was working with an executive who implemented structured recognition in team meetings. This practice not only increased employee engagement but also encouraged innovation, as employees saw that their efforts were valued and rewarded. Over time, this led to improved productivity, stronger team cohesion and higher job satisfaction.

Culture Transformation: Leadership’s Role in Driving Change

Marc asserts that culture change starts at the top. Without leadership buy-in, transformation efforts often fail. He highlights Microsoft’s cultural shift under Satya Nadella as a prime example of a CEO-led change that cascaded through the organization.

However, driving company-wide cultural change requires patience. Marc explains that it often takes two to five years before organizations see tangible results. This is where many leaders struggle - executives often prioritize short-term metrics, while culture transformation is a long-term investment. The key is helping leaders understand that culture is a leading indicator of business outcomes like revenue, efficiency, and customer experience. By committing to culture transformation, leaders can create an environment where innovation, collaboration, and high performance thrive.

Measuring ROI: Linking Leadership and Business Outcomes

Leadership and culture are often seen as intangible, but Marc emphasizes the importance of tracking the right metrics. He suggests measuring ROI through:

• Employee Engagement Scores – Higher engagement correlates with increased productivity and lower turnover.
• Productivity Metrics – Tracking output per employee provides insight into leadership effectiveness.
• Turnover Rates – Comparing leadership behaviors with retention rates helps assess impact.
• Inclusion and Diversity Metrics - Tracking improvements in inclusion, diversity, and equity within teams is crucial, as inclusive leadership directly impacts both retention and employee satisfaction
• Customer Experience (NPS Scores) – Strong leadership translates into better customer interactions and satisfaction.

Marc’s data-driven approach to leadership coaching ensures that businesses can see the direct impact of leadership development on financial outcomes.

Sustaining Leadership Development

For leadership growth to be an ongoing initiative, organizations must integrate it into their performance evaluations. Marc points to Amazon’s approach, where leadership principles are embedded into performance reviews and 360-degree feedback processes. Leaders are assessed not only on their results but also on how they achieve them, ensuring that leadership development remains a continuous focus.

The Future of Leadership: Emotional Intelligence and AI

Marc sees emotional intelligence (EI) as the key differentiator between successful and failing organizations in the future. As AI and automation replace technical tasks, leadership and culture will become the ultimate competitive advantage. Leaders who foster trust, psychological safety, and personal growth will drive the highest-performing teams.

He is also excited about the role of AI in leadership coaching. While AI cannot replace human insight, it can serve as a coaching aid - helping leaders track their performance, providing data-driven insights, and offering personalized development plans.

Final Takeaway: Leadership as the Engine of Business Success

Marc’s insights reinforce that leadership is not just about strategy—it’s about people. Organizations that invest in leadership development and cultural transformation will see lasting ROI, from lower turnover to higher performance and stronger customer relationships.

His advice for aspiring leadership coaches? “Start by understanding your clients’ challenges deeply. When you serve from that perspective, you create lasting impact.”

As businesses face an era of rapid transformation, Marc’s expertise highlights the enduring value of strong leadership in driving both cultural and financial success.