The six stages of working with us
We designed this process after years of watching what actually produces change in senior leaders. Each stage has a clear purpose, and you know exactly what happens before you commit to anything.
Discovery conversation
We start with a forty-five minute call. No pitch, no slides. We want to understand your situation: what is working, what is not, and what kind of leader you are trying to become or develop. If you are enrolling a team, we speak with the sponsor and at least two of the intended participants separately. This gives us an honest picture rather than a polished brief.
By the end of this call, we can usually tell you which program fits and whether we are the right provider. Sometimes we are not, and we will say so. Sending someone into a program that does not match their challenge wastes their time and ours.
Leadership assessment
Before any training begins, each participant completes a structured self-assessment and a 360-degree feedback process. We use a proprietary framework that measures decision quality, communication under pressure, stakeholder management, and team development capability. The 360 goes to five to eight people the participant nominates, plus two we select independently to reduce bias.
Results are compiled into a confidential report that only the participant and their coach see. This report becomes the baseline for measuring progress at the end of the engagement.
Program design
For cohort programs, we adjust case studies and exercises to reflect the industries and challenges represented in the group. If half the cohort is dealing with post-merger integration, we build scenarios around that. If the common thread is scaling a team from twenty to two hundred, the exercises shift accordingly.
One-on-one coaching engagements get a tailored development plan with three to five priority areas, each linked to observable behaviours. We avoid vague goals like "improve leadership presence." Instead, we define what that looks like: for example, "lead the quarterly town hall without reading from notes and handle at least three unscripted audience questions."
Delivery
Residential intensives run Monday through Friday at a dedicated venue. Days start at 8:30 and wrap by 17:00, with evening sessions optional. Each day has a theme: strategic thinking, difficult conversations, decision-making under uncertainty, building alignment, and personal leadership brand. The format alternates between facilitated discussion, role-play exercises, and individual coaching.
Virtual programs follow a similar structure spread over eight weeks. Sessions are ninety minutes, held on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Between sessions, participants complete assignments that apply new concepts to real work situations. They submit a brief written reflection before each session, which their coach reviews in advance.
Peer accountability pairing
At the end of every program, we pair each participant with someone from a different organisation and industry. These pairs commit to six fortnightly check-ins, each thirty minutes. We provide a simple structure for the conversations: what did you try, what happened, what will you do differently next time.
This stage costs nothing extra. We include it because our internal data shows that participants who complete all six check-ins retain new behaviours at roughly twice the rate of those who skip this step. The cross-industry element matters too: it forces you to explain your situation to someone who does not share your jargon or assumptions, which sharpens your thinking.
Follow-up and measurement
Three months and six months after the program, we repeat a shortened version of the initial 360 assessment. We compare results against the baseline and share a progress report with the participant and, if agreed, their sponsor. This is where we find out whether the training actually changed anything.
If progress is below expectations in a specific area, we offer a targeted coaching top-up: two additional sessions focused on that gap, included in the original program fee. We would rather address a shortfall than let a participant drift back to old habits.
Typical timelines
From first conversation to program start, expect four to six weeks. The assessment and design stages take the most time, and we do not rush them. Trying to compress a 360-degree feedback process into a few days produces shallow data.
The residential intensive itself is five days. The virtual emerging executive program runs eight weeks. One-on-one coaching engagements typically span six to twelve months, with sessions every two or four weeks depending on the participant's schedule and the complexity of their development goals.
Post-program accountability pairing adds another three months. The six-month follow-up assessment closes the loop. So from start to finish, a full engagement usually runs nine to fifteen months. That might sound long. But leadership habits built over a career do not change in a weekend workshop.
Common questions about the process
Can we customise a program for our entire leadership team?
Yes. We run private cohorts for organisations that want to put eight to twelve leaders through the intensive together. The content is fully tailored to your strategic priorities, and we can hold the program at your offices or at our usual venue. Private cohorts need at least eight weeks of lead time for the design phase.
What if a participant needs to miss a session?
For the residential intensive, we ask that participants commit to all five days. Missing a day breaks the cohort dynamic. If an emergency arises, we offer a make-up session with their coach to cover the missed content, though the group experience cannot be replicated one-on-one.
In the virtual program, missing one session is manageable. Missing two or more usually means we will suggest deferring to the next cohort rather than trying to catch up.
How do you select coaches?
Every coach on our team has held a senior leadership role (director level or above) for at least five years. We do not hire people who have only studied leadership academically. Our coaches have managed budgets, fired people, navigated board politics, and dealt with crises. That experience is what makes their feedback credible to participants who are living those realities right now.
Is there a money-back guarantee?
We offer a full refund if you cancel at least fourteen days before the program starts. Within fourteen days, a 50% fee applies. Once the program begins, refunds are not available, but we will work with you to resolve any concerns about the experience.