Can what got us here also get us there? Building Tomorrow’s Leaders: The ABC Way
How we worked with a medical devices company to turn mid-level managers into future-ready leaders
We got a call from the promoter of one of India’s fastest-growing medical devices companies, someone we’ve worked with for years. When we met, he shared something that we all knew wasn’t exactly urgent, but certainly important.
Talent management is one of those decisions. It never feels urgent, until it does. We tell ourselves, at least work is going on, and we keep kicking the ball down the road until it’s too late. This promoter though, had enough experience to know that he must proactively ready his leadership for the future.
This was the situation. He had been preparing his son to take over the business. He had left no stone unturned – the best education, training and mentorship – he was already seeing positive signs and was confident his son would make him proud. The “when” wasn’t clear but like any seasoned leader, he wanted to be sure the path forward was solid.
We had a deep discussion and he asked me many questions about how to assess the readiness of the next in line: Was the next line of leaders ready? Were his son’s peers equipped to support and drive the business into the future? How could he judge when they would be ready?
When I read between the lines, I knew what he was really asking me was this: “When even the best general is only as good as his lieutenants, how could he set his son up for success by ensuring he had the right leadership team beside him?”
This company was growing rapidly. They needed strong, future-ready leaders who could step up, take decisions, and stay aligned with the company’s culture.
The ask was simple. The solution, as complex as humans, help us identify and shape our crop of future leaders.
We saw it as more than another commercial transaction, it was a chance to future-proof this fast growing company and help the next generation cement their legacy.
We met the son & defined our approach: complementarity, compensation and culture
In our first conversation with the promoter’s son, something stood out. He was smart, self-aware, and full of potential but he knew he wasn’t ready yet. And even when he will be ready, he had the wisdom to know that he couldn’t (and shouldn’t) lead alone.
As we were driving back home, we came up with the perfect metaphor for what the solution would look like –
High performance leadership teams are like a curated mango basket.
Some are Alphonsos: sweet, mature, and ready to lead.
Others are raw kairis: full of potential but will ripen with time.
Our job is to work with all the flavors we have and use them to balance the basket. The solution would build a team that complements the leader, not copy him.
We also knew that one rotten mango can spoil all the others. The solution would also have to identify the rot early and set in guidelines for a strong culture that rewards performance and builds legacy.
Finally, some mangoes will ripen early, while others would take time. In a scenario when we did not know when the leadership would be asked to step up, a combination of more responsibility and practical compensation plan that motivated and incentivised the leaders to stay on, were needed.
This helped us frame our approach.
We applied our Leadership Compass framework. This methodology combines scientific assessment tools like Hogan and 360-degree with our special sauce – deep interviews by our talent architects.
Phase 1 Immersive Discovery: We began with an immersive discovery phase. Through candid conversations with the client, we finalised key competencies, behaviours, and role requirements. We had one foot firmly in demands of today and the second in the future: how would technology, AI and external forces influence leadership skills and role scope for the future?
- We administered Hogan Assessmentsto understand each leader’s motivators, strengths, and stress points.
- And a 360 feedback to understand how others experienced their leadership.
In-depth interviews with our organisation design specialists ran into 120 minutes. We wanted to get a feel beyond what the numbers threw up. We strived to understand the core of each leader, their displayed behaviours, their cultural alignment, learning agility, and their leadership footprint.
These conversations were rich, real, and revealing. Like experienced mango pickers, we figured out who was ready to be picked and who needed more sun.
Phase 2 Leadership Strategy: We didn’t just hand over reports. We sat down with the promoter, and the company’s Talent Board to go over the findings, one leader at a time.
We highlighted strengths, explored areas for development, and co-created action plans for each individual.
Phase 3 Leadership Coaching: Then we had three meaningful coaching conversations with each identified leader, to help them craft their they were personalised growth journeys.
We did not keep secret the fact that they had been identified as future lieutenants who would chart the next forty year’s growth for the company.
Win-win outcomes
Leaders in waiting felt truly seen and supported. They gained clarity and confidence.
And the promoter could finally see the pieces falling into place for his son and for the wider team.
We’ve seen first-hand how organisations survive and thrive when they invest in their people. When they genuinely care and connect. When they listen, learn and lead with authenticity. When they tap into the power of all over one.
We’ve always believed great leaders aren’t found. They’re carefully cultivated, with care, intention and maybe, a little sunlight.
