Providing Leadership Training & Coaching Proves to be a Smart Investment

The Challenge

As a new CEO stepped into his role at this South Dakota headquartered cybersecurity firm, he wanted to embark on establishing ambitious stretch growth goals and set sail to transform company culture. Grounded in the belief that every employee is called to develop leadership skills, the CEO was determined to provide the training and tools necessary for that to happen.

The Process

To accomplish its ambitious goals, SBS CyberSecurity needed a long-term growth management solution for building leadership bench strength. InterAction Training came up with a 4-part solution to accomplish this.

Part 1: Work of Leaders Assessment

The research-validated, online assessment asks participants to respond to behavioral statements on a five-point scale, including application-specific questions to help determine the participant’s Work of Leaders priorities. Each participant received a 23-page profile summary with direct feedback on behaviors they use that works toward or against excelling as a leader.

Part 2: Leadership Boot Camp

After evaluating the assessments, InterAction Training prepared a 1.5 day leadership workshop for all employees. The classroom experience focused on engaging and educating participants with the aim to deepen the understanding of their personal profile and inspire lasting behavioral changes. Each participant received personalized leadership strategies for:

Crafting a vision through exploration, boldness, and testing assumptions.
Building alignment through clarity, dialog, and inspiration.
Championing execution through momentum, structure, and feedback.

Part 3: Ongoing Coaching

To achieve long-term success, we schedule monthly 50-minute coaching calls with selected managers and team leads. Currently in its third year, these coaching calls with Honey Shelton focus on the agenda and needs of each coachee. Using the “Coaching Choices” methodology, each coachee is encouraged to evaluate what they want to achieve, how to achieve it, and what they are doing that isn’t working.

Part 4: New Team Member Assessments

SBS has committed to use the Work of Leaders Assessment and its concepts in the onboarding of all new hires as part of the solution for building leadership bench strength and an exceptional company culture.

The Outcome

73% revenue growth over the last three-year period
Ongoing buy-in from senior management
Enhanced manager skill sets on coaching themselves and others
Established clear company core values
Practice, advocate, and execute the company’s vision
Annual company-wide retreat
Naming a monthly CyberStar employee
Showcasing employees on a routine basis on social media
Attracting and retaining top talent in a people-centered culture

Why Does It Work?

SBS recognized its people as the leading force for growth management. By investing in them, SBS invested in its future as a whole. Company-wide, the newly established culture set strong core values and a created a common understanding of how people appreciate being heard and valued whether they are an employee, manager or customer. By continuing to invest in professional development and coaching on an ongoing basis, SBS fosters a unique working environment and a fundamentally strong culture that produces big results and a sustainable competitive edge. Ongoing coaching ensures the continual reinforcement of key messages, offers opportunities for each individual, and teaches-back the learning objectives of InterAction Training’s Leadership Boot Camp.