Like to find out a little more about the clients we serve? These leadership development case studies will give you a better understanding of how we help organisations develop leadership capability and build high performing teams.
Ashurst
Ashurst is a leading multinational law firm and a trusted adviser to corporates, financial institutions and governments worldwide. They have a vision to be the most progressive global law firm and understand that “progressive” is a mindset, an approach to how things are done.
Situation
Ross McClymont, Managing Partner for the Ashurst Melbourne Office, engaged The Leadership Sphere to deliver a corporate leadership development program to help create a fresh perspective on their leadership strategy and to explore better ways of delivering practical, commercial solutions to the challenges their local clients were facing. Whilst challenging the status quo it was important that actions from the leadership program were aligned with the firm’s global and national way of doing things.
Objectives
Establish a fresh strategy and approach
As one of the most highly regarded legal practices in Melbourne, the group of more than 30 partners involved in the leadership program were already well established and successful within their areas of practice. However, there was a consensus that the partners had to get together and understand where the business was at and establish a fresh strategy, along with an action plan that each partner could relate to and be committed to delivering on, when they left the room.
“There was a consensus that everyone had to get together and understand where the business was at and establish a fresh strategy, along with an action plan that each partner could relate to.”
Approach
Deliver an action plan
It was known before the leadership workshops commenced that tangible action was critical, and that immediate action would have to take place beyond what happened in the training room. As The Leadership Sphere navigated through the discussions of the leadership workshop there were 12 actions that were identified. Some actions were straight forward and seemingly easy to achieve, whilst others were much bigger and more challenging. All were tied in with the overall business strategy. There was an underlying confidence amongst the partners that if these action items were achieved, that it would have a great impact on our overall business objectives. For that reason, everything that was discussed and agreed to, very quickly became real.
“It was a significant moment for the group when at the end of the program, each partner was able to stand and articulate their personal commitments aligned to the overall action plan for the group in about 30 seconds each. There was something about the energy in the room and the focus and shared vision that really shone through. It was at this point that we knew we had nailed the brief.”
Connect partners to the strategy
There was awareness that a big part of connecting the partners to the strategy was having a facilitator that was able to establish credibility and challenge the group within a safe environment. The Leadership Sphere were the partner of choice for the leadership development program. They were assessed as easy to deal with, likeable and very quickly built trust with the team. There was a lot of time and effort taken prior to the initial leadership workshop to get to know the partner group and what they were looking to achieve.
“The Leadership Sphere had been referred to us as a highly reputable group to work with. We knew that engaging an external provider was all about choosing somebody with credibility, experience and who could relate to our business”.
Outcomes
When The Leadership Sphere came back several months later, nine out of 12 of the actions had been achieved. The remaining three were in progress and on track for completion. Now a couple of years on from the initial leadership development workshops the Melbourne Office is ranked in the top percentile of all business units within Ashurst globally, with all key metrics including customer value, revenue and profitability targets being met or exceeded. Ross McClymont mentioned that this was a really good story and one which has been underpinned by a leadership group that has taken personal responsibility for the direction of the Melbourne Office.
“While we cannot attribute the success we have achieved to one program or strategy, we know that the leadership development program was a key part of setting the overall direction. It brought us together as a group and provided us with a framework under which we could grow as individuals and take personal responsibility for the success that we have achieved as a group in the past few years.”
Align the goals of the Melbourne Office with the global and national strategy
Being a part of a large global group meant that the Melbourne Office needed to align their goals with the overarching strategy at the global and national level. The leadership development program allowed everyone to get a better understanding of the role that each partner had to play to deliver the result. The leadership group was able to mature in its understanding and confidence of where the Melbourne Office fitted within the larger global group and the areas that could be focused on to have the most impact.
“As a group we matured in our understanding and confidence of where the Melbourne Office fitted within the global firm, and the areas that we could focus on to have the biggest impact.”
Maximise cross function support
One of the key areas of focus throughout the leadership training was on how partners could support each other across practices. Whilst this was already happening well, there were several identifiable actions that could increase communication and leverage subject matter experts within the different areas of practice. Ross McClymont referred to this outcome as one of the most important parts of the leadership development program. He went on to talk about the difference it has made to the way the office operates on a day to day basis, which has been significant.
“The actions identified for improving cross practice support, and the practical strategies that our partners walked away with have both had a significant impact on the way we operate today.”
Establish a playbook on how to deliver high levels of customer service and value creation
While the group involved in the leadership development program were already displaying excellent client service and value creation within their own areas of practice, it was found that bringing the group together to discuss in more detail how they could better help others, had a significant impact on business improvement. From the ideas shared as a group and the guidance provided by The Leadership Sphere, we were able to develop a playbook to guide us. This has helped set standards and drive consistency in the way we service our clients. It has also become an important part of our overall continuous improvement process and established a supportive and collaborative culture across the different practices of the Melbourne Office.
“From the ideas shared as a group and the guidance provided by The Leadership Sphere, we were able to develop a playbook to guide us.”
The Leadership Sphere
The Leadership Sphere is one of the most highly regarded leadership development partners for small and medium business and larger organisations in Australia. This includes leadership development programs, building high performing teams, executive coaching and other leadership tools and services. We are grateful of the opportunity to work with Ross McClymont, Office Managing Partner and the partners of the Ashurst Melbourne Office and for the commitment and actions taken by everyone involved in the program.
Case Studies
Ashurst LLP
Ashurst is a leading international law firm established in the United Kingdom with operations in Asia, Australia, Middle East, and the United States. Although established in 1822, the firm did not officially set up shop in Australia until 2012 when it combined practice with Melbourne-based firm Blake Dawson (est. 1841) which then rebranded to Ashurst Australia…
APT Travel Group
The APT Travel Group (ATG) is a global business with an extensive portfolio of touring and cruising brands including APT, Travelmarvel, TravelGlo, Botanica World Discoveries, Captains Choice and Antarctica Flights. As Australia’s largest locally owned tour company and most awarded, it maintains an unparalleled commitment to innovation in defining what travel means, not only in Australia but the world…
DesignInc
DesignInc is an Australia-wide practice, dedicated to creating people-centric environments from the large scale to the small. DesignInc’s award-winning portfolio includes hospitals and laboratories, sport centres, schools and universities, workplaces, multi-residential communities and infrastructure projects.
Down Syndrome Victoria
Down Syndrome Victoria (DSV) is Victoria’s peak organisation representing people with Down syndrome and their families. They work alongside people with Down syndrome to reach their potential and live the lives they choose. Their aim is to create a society where people with Down syndrome are valued, and enjoy social and economic inclusion.
Envista
Envista is a global leader in the dental industry, consisting of over thirty trusted brands, including Nobel Biocare. Their purpose is to partner with professionals to improve lives and provide the best possible patient care through industry-leading products, solutions, and technology.
Our promise to you
- The best solution for delivering your desired learning outcomes.
- Highly experienced and accredited consultants, facilitators and coaches.
- Proprietary methodologies based on the latest research and experience from world-leading consultants.
- Evidence-driven program design. You always know what results you’re getting.
- Dedicated support team. We love to help you succeed.
- Open and honest communication. Our mantra is “clear is kind”.
- You define what ‘value’ means. We deliver.
Phillip Ralph
