Redefining Leadership for a New Strategy

Challenge

The leaders of a large insurance company decided that a strategic shift was required to meet the organisation’s long-term goals. They also recognised that they lacked an enterprise leadership model that was aligned to that new strategy. The culture was highly siloed and operated through consensus, which slowed decision-making and eroded accountability.

Unlock

ExCo was brought in to assess a cohort of executives one level below the C-suite team and, in partnership with the company’s leaders, identified how to evolve the existing leadership framework in ways that would drive the strategy with greater alignment and impact. The reset developed a new shared language and understanding of what it meant to be an effective leader at the organisation.

Impact

ExCo’s partnership became the foundation of a sustainable, enterprise-wide leadership framework that helped change the trajectory of the company’s performance. All the leaders were newly aligned on what the strategy required and started taking full ownership of high-stakes decisions on asset allocation, strategic bets, and talent calls. Roughly a third of the leaders who participated in ExCo assessments were given new assignments within the company, and several were promoted into the C-suite. Eager to build on their success and newfound momentum, the company enlisted ExCo for a second engagement to work with leaders deeper in the organisation.