How an In-House Leadership Programme Transformed Team Dynamics

THE COLLABORATION

For this project, we were invited to work in a white-labelled capacity as an extension of the client’s internal L&D team. Acting as 'part of the family' allowed us to deeply embed the programme within the client’s culture and context; with the external credibility of our Institute of Leadership Approval.

The partnership involved Blue Gnu designing and delivering a bespoke People Leadership Programme tailored specifically to the evolving needs of the 'People Leaders' - those managing individual contributors across the business.

The programme spans a series of 7 in-person full-day workshops, supported by compulsory digital learning modules. Working hand-in-glove with the client ensures the programme remains highly relevant, adaptable, and resonant with the leadership realities faced by participants.

THE CHALLENGES

As with most of our client projects, this was not a simple ‘plug-and-play’ programme. Several unique challenges emerged:

• Group size and fluidity: The cohort was large and participants’ availability varied, meaning group dynamics were constantly shifting.

• Balancing leadership styles: Data revealed that many leaders leaned heavily towards ‘supporting’ behaviours, with a gap in ‘challenging’ behaviours. Facilitators noted the importance of helping participants strike the right balance between support and challenge.

• Time: Delivering a valuable programme experience for a group of exceptionally busy senior leaders enabling them to spend time on their own development when there is huge competition for diary space.

  
  

THE SOLUTION

We designed a multi-layered approach:

• Modular, flexible structure: The programme included a launch event, six one-day in-person workshops, and 16+ short online modules providing varied touch points to support sustained engagement and reflection.

• Tools for balance: Practical tools are peppered throughout the programme to help leaders consciously blend those that enable them to get the most from their leadership style.

• Intentional reflection: Each workshop revisited the Programme Mantra, giving leaders space to reflect on mindset shifts and commit to action.

• Focus on relationships: Exercises emphasised building trust and understanding team motivations. One participant shared:

“...showed me that you need to build relationships so that when you get to the hard moments, you already know each other well enough to draw from.”

THE RESULTS

The programme continues to deliver measurable growth in leadership confidence and capability. We've delivered three full cohorts (one with more than 40 participants!) and with cohorts 4 & 5 currently ongoing and cohort 6 planned for Autumn 2026. Here's what the alumni report so far:

• “I feel more comfortable with change... knowing that there's not a solution for everything.”

• “I feel more confident in delegating tasks and trusting my team to take on more responsibility.”

• “I’ve realised the importance of emotional intelligence, especially when navigating team conflicts.”

• “The coaching aspects really helped with handling performance conversations and resolving differences.”

• “The programme helped me embrace delegation, especially in a new team, and shift how I approach managing tasks.”

• 87% of participants felt engaged with the course content with 90% likely to recommend this Leadership Development Programme to a colleague.

Ready To Empower Your Leaders From Within?

We specialise in designing white-labelled leadership programmes that feel truly in-house, seamlessly tailored to your culture, challenges, and ambitions. If you'd like to explore how we can collaborate to elevate your people leaders, let's start a conversation. Although we love shouting about what we do on socials, we also have many clients who would prefer we don't - if that's you... Get in touch, we would love to help.