Why does a tailored leadership development programme with ongoing support deliver more value than an ‘off-the-shelf' solution?
Benjamin Wade
I help business leaders rapidly develop revenue, performance and output.
Almost 50% of all new leaders fail to manage their team effectively or achieve their KPIs in the first 12 months of promotion. This underscores the importance of targeted, tailored development to support new leaders through their transition and increase their chances of long-term success.
But it’s not just those first-time emerging leaders.
Nearly 60% of senior executives report no formal development in preparation for their C-suite roles.
Imagine a UK-based law firm facing a silent but costly problem. Accountability was inconsistent across teams, and communication across the firm was muddled as departments worked in silos without leveraging broader expertise.
Recognising the need for change, they considered options for leadership development. An off-the-shelf programme offered a quick, seemingly efficient solution, but they realised that their unique challenges demanded something more precise and impactful; they needed buy-in from several leadership levels throughout the business and required high-impact embedding of frameworks and a growth mindset long after the programme had finished.
Enter the tailored leadership development programme crafted to target the firm’s specific pain points, utilising their own specific issues and client case studies and using their own business language, culture and DNA. Working closely with the organisation, we focused on their immediate challenges. Within months, they saw results they hadn’t anticipated: clarity in communication and revitalised accountability to unlock a ￡1.5 million for a client that would have otherwise missed the opportunity. For the firm’s leaders, the value of a bespoke programme was suddenly clear—it allowed them to zero in on the issues holding them back and tackle them head-on.
Tailored programmes bring a distinct advantage for companies looking to excel or those facing rapid growth. Take one of our longest-standing clients, a hyper-growth UK headquartered software development company. They are on track with their target to expand from c.300 to 1,200 employees in under 18 months, and maintaining core values and high customer satisfaction was a priority. An off-the-shelf solution might have provided generic leadership advice, but this company needed a programme that understood the unique pressures of hyper-growth. Working with leadership at every level, our full-time team of leadership experts offered insights that were anything but generic, capitalising on their unique experiences, including business, elite sport, hospitality, the Police and military. Their industry experience helped the company build leadership resilience, setting them up for a successful sale in 2024.
These tailored programmes do more than just rapidly upskill, they unlock sustained behavioural change and a growth mindset because they don’t just go through the motions. Unlike standardised programmes that skim the surface, tailored programmes dig deep, making leadership development relevant and engaging. Over the years, we have welcomed many clients who have trialled an off-the-shelf option but soon found the approach would work for long-term change. Initial attempts to use off-the-shelf solutions didn’t resonate with their teams—frontline leaders felt disconnected from the training. But when they partnered with us and designed a tailored programme, engagement surged, and critical leadership behaviours were reinforced, fostering a shared understanding that kept them on the cutting edge.
Finally, there’s the question of ROI. For leaders under pressure to justify every investment, a tailored programme offers returns that off-the-shelf courses can’t touch. A leading recruitment client recently implemented our tailored leadership training programme and saw an immediate result—almost ￡1 million in ROI within just three months. Standardised programmes often chase after certification and “completion,” whereas tailored programmes focus on real-world impact, driving better decision-making, employee engagement, and a growth mindset.
This is an investment in your company’s future, built to scale with you, adaptable to change, and always rooted in real business impact. So, suppose you’re looking to cultivate leaders who don’t just follow formulas but think critically, adapt, and drive measurable results. In that case, a tailored programme isn’t just a better choice—it’s the only choice.
Get in touch to hear how our leadership and performance development support has delivered real-world, long-term impact on metrics including enterprise value, profit, performance, retention, engagement and ELTV.