Client Challenge
A COO was tasked with leading a major transformation within the sales team. Known for his driving, results-focused approach, his style worked well for those who shared his mindset. However, it failed to resonate with a significant portion of his team, leaving them demotivated and frustrated.
This disconnect created a cycle of unproductivity—the team’s lack of action frustrated the COO, and his increasing urgency left the team feeling even more demoralized. The COO needed to understand how to flex his style to inspire and align his team.
Mukala Approach
Mukala coached the COO for six months, focusing on expanding their leadership approach and ensuring all members of their team were fully bought into the change agenda.
To best support the COO and organization, Mukala also delivered a Team Development Program that included Hogan Assessments and confidential team health interviews with each of the COO’s direct reports. The insights were used to inform a full-day, in-person session focused on building connections, sharing feedback, and aligning priorities.
Outcomes
Increased Connection and Commitment: Through activities like Timelines, Hogan Assessment takeaways, and Feedforward exercises, the team gained a deeper understanding of each other and their leader, strengthening connection and commitment.
Expanded Self-Awareness: The COO humanized himself and learned how to expand his leadership toolkit. He developed different approaches to connect with and motivate the varied personalities on his team.
Improved Communication and Engagement: The COO adjusted his approach, incorporating storytelling to make strategy and goals more relatable. This shift energized the team and led to more productive conversations and clearer alignment.
“I was over-indexed on one style of leadership. Through this process, I was able to change my pitch and tell the story in a new way. You could see people engaging and light bulbs going off. It’s not too much of a stretch for me to tell stories—I love doing that—but people hadn’t seen it. They just saw me as the one always asking for more, so they felt defeated. This process helped me see that I had over-rotated in trying to drive to an outcome and then take action to remedy that.” - COO
