From Day One to One Team
Client Context
A large public‑sector organisation had recently formed a new Senior Management Team (SMT) and needed to support them through onboarding. Individually, the leaders were capable and experienced. Collectively, they were still forming — building relationships, understanding how to work together and navigating a complex organisational environment shaped by governance, politics and ongoing transformation.
The organisation wanted to create space for the team to settle, align and develop — both as individuals and as a leadership group.
The Challenge
This was not a traditional training need. The challenge was not to “teach leadership,” but to help a newly formed team become a team.
The group needed to build trust quickly, understand each other’s working styles, navigate organisational complexity and begin operating with clarity and collective accountability. At the same time, membership was evolving — people joining and leaving throughout the year — adding another layer of complexity.
The programme needed to be structured but flexible, developmental but grounded, and responsive to what was emerging in the room rather than fixed in advance.
Core Question
How do we support a newly formed senior team to build trust, operate effectively and take collective ownership in a complex organisational context?
Our Approach
We designed a year‑long onboarding programme combining in‑person learning labs, remote sessions and one‑to‑one coaching.
The in‑person sessions created depth. These focused on team development, organisational context, project delivery and collective planning, using practical tools and real work to explore how the team functioned together and within the wider organisation.
Remote sessions maintained momentum and were shaped by emerging needs. Coaching ran alongside the programme, providing space for individuals to work through personal challenges, relationships and leadership style.
The content evolved throughout. Early sessions focused on building connection and understanding. Later work explored organisational complexity, project delivery and decision‑making. The final phase brought this together, supporting reflection and forward planning as the team moved beyond onboarding.
How We Worked
The approach was dynamic and responsive. Agendas were co‑created, but facilitation followed the energy and needs of the group. Sessions were practical, visual and discussion‑led, keeping learning grounded and immediately relevant.
The emphasis was always on real conversations over polished outputs — creating space for both straightforward progress and more challenging, necessary discussions.
Contribution from the Client
The team brought openness, honesty and a willingness to engage. Early vulnerability created a strong foundation, enabling more honest and productive conversations as the programme progressed.
They were prepared to reflect, challenge each other and test new ways of working — which was essential to the depth of learning achieved.
Key Findings
Trust and psychological safety developed quickly and became a defining strength. Protecting time together — particularly informal, reflective time — proved critical and has been sustained.
The team showed a natural strength in analysis and problem‑solving, with less instinct for execution. This highlighted the importance of being deliberate about delivery, accountability and decision‑making.
Over time, there was a clear shift from individual focus to collective responsibility, with the team increasingly operating as a single leadership group.
Emerging Impact
By the end of the programme, the SMT had a stronger identity as a team, clearer ways of working and increased confidence in navigating organisational complexity.
They established new rhythms — regular informal time together, stronger peer support and more open challenge — and left with a practical plan to continue their development independently.
Why LEEWAY
We create the conditions for real development to happen. This programme combined structure with flexibility, supporting a group of capable individuals to evolve into a cohesive, confident leadership team with a shared sense of purpose.