Accelerating Readiness for Complex General Management Roles .
Partnering with a global manufacturing powerhouse to identify and prepare rising leaders for complex General Manager roles through an immersive, high-impact development experience.
3 Big Wins
1
One Clear Standard for GM Success
grounded in real-world complexity and strategic demands.
2
Immersive Simulation
Revealing true readiness and pinpointing development priorities.
3
A Stronger Bench
with targeted development and viable successors for critical GM roles.
The Challenge.
For a leading global manufacturer, the General Manager role is among the most complex and critical demanding commercial acumen, people leadership, operational excellence and the ability to thrive in ambiguity.
Yet promotions into GM roles had produced mixed results. Too many leaders struggled with the scale and pressure, leading to underperformance, costly missteps and stalled careers.
The CEO and executive team called for a more strategic, rigorous approach – one that could identify and prepare future GMs with confidence, clarity, and intent.
We kept promoting people on judgment calls, and it simply wasn’t working. We had to get clearer about what makes a great GM and give leaders the chance to build those skills before taking on the role.
Our Approach.
We partnered with the client to create a solution grounded in the realities of the GM role.
- Defined success– engaged leaders to build a clear profile of the capabilities, mindsets, and experiences that differentiate great GMs.
- Tested readiness– designed an immersive simulation with senior leaders to mirror real strategic and operational challenges.
- Built the pipeline– delivered a tiered experience for senior and mid-level leaders, with direct feedback and personalized development plans.
The result: objective insight into the strength of the GM bench and a stronger, future-ready pipeline.
The Impact.
- Clarity & Alignment – one shared definition of GM success across the organization.
- Smarter Succession – a data-driven approach to identifying and developing future GMs.
- Senior Leader Buy-In – executives shaped and co-delivered the experience, driving real ownership.
- Transformational Feedback – participants called it “the most relevant leadership development I’ve done.”
- Better Decisions – leadership now uses objective data to guide GM appointments and development.
- Stronger Bench – high-potential leaders have clear plans and their readiness is actively tracked.
Re-define the leadership you need for the future. >>