Die Herausforderung
At a leading Dutch bank, leaders are essential in building high-performing teams and fostering a strong organizational culture. However, moving from an individual contributor to a leadership role comes with challenges, such as coaching teams, motivating employees, and aligning stakeholders.
Die Lösung
The Kickstart Leadership Programme, developed in collaboration with Lepaya, is designed to equip first-time leaders with the skills needed to adapt, innovate, and lead with purpose in a rapidly evolving financial landscape. By empowering first-time leaders, the program fosters a high-performance team environment, leading to increased productivity and retention.
Building a strong leadership pipeline in a rapidly evolving financial industry
Strong leadership is at the heart of a leading Dutch bank's ability to adapt, innovate, and drive sustainable success in an industry that is constantly evolving. As digitalization accelerates, customer expectations shift, and regulatory landscapes grow more complex, the need for agile, people-focused leadership has never been greater.
The decision to invest in a first-time leader program was driven by clear insights from the bank’s Organizational Health Index (OHI) survey, which revealed just how critical managerial effectiveness is to overall employee engagement and organizational health.
“During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw a noticeable disparity in the performance of our leaders—some excelled, while others struggled. This underscored the importance of equipping our first-time leaders with robust people skills. Our data showed that investing in their development not only improves OHI scores but also boosts workforce productivity and morale.” — Saskia, Talent Management & Leadership
Blended training for lasting behavioral change
Leadership isn’t developed through theory alone—it’s built through real-world practice and continuous reinforcement. To ensure lasting behavioral change, the program leverages a blended training approach that combines theory, peer learning, and hands-on practice.
This learning journey blends inspiration with practice, through:
- Power Hours – High energy session to inspire everyone on a given topic.
- Buddy Boosts – Peer exchange and coaching.
- Practice Sessions – Small-group, real-life case studies with actors.
"Practicing with actors was incredibly valuable. I could put my own challenges into practice, redo conversations that didn’t go well, and learn from others' approaches. These hands-on sessions really helped bridge theory and practice." – Yvette, Product Lead
“Training with actors was very confronting, which is the best way to learn. As I practiced, I could hear myself saying things and immediately realize, “This is not good.” It was really helpful. It’s putting into practice what you learn, that’s really nice.”— Sebastiaan, Product Lead
"Day to day, I work with highly specialized, content-driven experts, so discussions often focus heavily on content. The training helped me become more aware of the interpersonal layer—group dynamics, emotions, and finding common ground."
Blended training for lasting behavioral change
Leadership isn’t developed through theory alone—it’s built through real-world practice and continuous reinforcement. To ensure lasting behavioral change, the program leverages a blended training approach that combines theory, peer learning, and hands-on practice.
This learning journey blends inspiration with practice, through:
- Power Hours – High energy session to inspire everyone on a given topic.
- Buddy Boosts – Peer exchange and coaching.
- Practice Sessions – Small-group, real-life case studies with actors.
"Practicing with actors was incredibly valuable. I could put my own challenges into practice, redo conversations that didn’t go well, and learn from others' approaches. These hands-on sessions really helped bridge theory and practice." – Yvette, Product Lead
“Training with actors was very confronting, which is the best way to learn. As I practiced, I could hear myself saying things and immediately realize, “This is not good.” It was really helpful. It’s putting into practice what you learn, that’s really nice.”
A comprehensive approach to evaluating impact
Since its launch, the Kickstart Leadership Programme has trained 120 first-time leaders across two cohorts, achieving Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 57 and an overall program rating of 8.7/10.
But the true success of the program is measured not just by attendance or satisfaction ratings—it requires a comprehensive approach to impact measurement on real business metrics.
The bank measures the impact of its first-time leader program through pre- and post-training surveys, changes in Organizational Health Index (OHI) scores, and qualitative feedback from interviews. This comprehensive approach helps evaluate the program's effectiveness and make data-driven improvements.
A key indicator of success is how well first-time leaders apply what they’ve learned to real-world challenges, which is evident through measurable improvements:
“Participants are asked to rate themselves after each training session, as well as before and after the entire program. These self-assessments, combined with feedback from their teams and improvements in OHI scores, indicate enhanced managerial effectiveness and higher levels of employee engagement and retention.” — Saskia, Talent Management & Leadership.
When it comes to skills application, participants report feeling better equipped to lead conversations, navigate conflicts, and coach their teams effectively—directly impacting team performance and engagement.
“The things that really helped me and really stuck were the importance of active listening, handling emotions in conversations, providing effective feedback, and recognizing different communication styles. These skills help me navigate and guide conversations more effectively as a leader.” — Yvette, Product Lead
“Different convincing methods we learned were very useful. I think that was the central theme of the course—learning how to convince others and get them to think along with you. That was very helpful for me.” — Sebastiaan, Product Lead
These examples show that beyond individual growth, the program is fostering a broader cultural shift—with leaders creating a more feedback-driven, engaged, and high-performing work environment.
The long-term value of leadership development
The Kickstart Leadership Programme is more than just a training initiative—it’s an investment in the bank’s long-term success. By equipping first-time leaders with the skills, confidence, and mindset to lead effectively, the leading Dutch bank is fostering a culture of high performance, collaboration, and continuous growth.
“The first-time leader program provides long-term value by developing effective leaders who enhance team performance and engagement. Good leaders help people thrive, boosting team members' happiness and retention. This investment leads to a more productive and cohesive workforce, ultimately ensuring sustained success and competitive edge.” Saskia, Talent Management & Leadership.
Looking ahead, the bank is committed to evolving the program to meet the changing needs of leaders in a dynamic business environment. In the future, the first-time leader program will evolve by incorporating emerging leadership trends and best practices. It will offer more personalized and adaptive learning experiences, emphasize continuous learning and mentorship, and address the needs of hybrid work environments. Additionally, the program will continue to monitor business needs to ensure it remains relevant and effective
With an eye on the future and a commitment to excellence, the bank continues to shape the next generation of leaders—driving both individual and organizational success.
"The Kickstart Leadership Programme is a great example of how we support our first-time leaders, ensuring they develop the skills they need to lead effectively. It’s fantastic to see how this programme is shaping our future leaders."
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