Case Study
“How can we prepare our leaders to steer long-term transformation?”
What They Needed
Friends Provident International Limited (FPIL) was entering a period of expected organisational transformation following acquisition from Royal Sun Alliance.
The business anticipated significant change to its operational structure and service approach over the next 3–5 years, meaning the role of its leaders would evolve considerably.
They wanted to:
- Equip managers with the capability to lead change, not just manage teams
- Align leadership behaviours with their competency framework to support strategic direction
- Strengthen resilience and adaptability across management levels ahead of evolving business demands
- Support future accountability for regional operations as responsibilities shifted
- Ensure the programme was formally accredited to reinforce internal value and personal recognition
The development focus was on preparing leaders now for what the organisation would need next.
In short: How do we build leadership capability today to prepare managers for major operational change in the years ahead?
What We Did
We designed and delivered a bespoke six-month Management Development Programme, fully aligned to FPIL’s competency framework and accredited by the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) as an endorsed award.
Key programme components included:
- Six leadership modules (each two days) focused on leading teams, managing performance, coaching, change readiness and commercial thinking
- Two formal coaching sessions per manager, delivered by qualified coaches to support individual development
- One work-based assignment, forming part of the accreditation assessment
- Practical behavioural work, supported through 360-degree feedback, interviews and post-session evaluation
- Ongoing mentoring and guidance from MTD facilitators to ensure application of learning
- Parallel supervisor development sessions for high-potential mentors to support wider capability growth
The programme was designed to develop future-focused leadership behaviours while maintaining strong alignment to organisational strategic goals.
The Difference It Made
Increase in leadership capability due to the programme
Increase in confidence to lead through change
Managers identified as promotion ready for next step
Quality of programme design aligned to business challenges
Quality of programme delivery based on relevance and impact
The programme was regarded as impactful by both participants and the business, with managers reporting increased readiness to handle change and support FPIL’s long-term goals.
Key outcomes included:
- Programme design score: 3.8/4 – reflecting strong alignment to FPIL’s leadership framework and future-focused development needs
- Quality of delivery: 9.2/10 – managers valued the practical application to real scenarios and the support from facilitators
- Leadership capability improvement: +20% (based on aggregated behavioural and 360° feedback data)
- Increased confidence in leading through change: +17% – managers reported feeling more capable of adapting to shifting priorities
- Promotion readiness recognised by senior stakeholders, with emerging leaders being identified for succession planning
“Our Leading High Performance Teams Programme has been brilliantly received by the participants and we are starting to see the benefits we had hoped for.”
— John Owen, Training Manager, Friends Provident International
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