In the early 2000s, a small Silicon Valley technology platform company faced a critical challenge: a shortage of effective leaders to support its rapid growth. To address this, Insight Experience partnered with a global talent development company to create the Emerging Leaders Program, aimed at preparing individual contributors and early-career leaders for larger roles. Nearly 20 years later, both the company and the program have flourished, demonstrating the enduring impact of strategic leadership development.
Growing an organization quickly presents significant challenges, such as maintaining alignment, culture, and agility. Developing a strong leadership pipeline is crucial but requires intention, patience, and time. New managers often struggle to balance team development with their daily responsibilities, and leadership performance is frequently assessed on short-term project outcomes and financial metrics. This pressure can hinder the development of future leaders, even for the most organized and effective managers. A technology platform company sought an effective leadership development program to equip leaders with the skills to grow their teams while achieving organizational objectives.
In partnership with a global talent management company that specializes in career and talent development, Insight Experience designed and implemented the Emerging Leaders Program. During a three-day business simulation experience, which is one part of a larger leadership journey that takes several months to complete, participants manage an independent business unit within a larger enterprise. Participants take on the role of a Senior Manager and are tasked with aligning their organization’s plans and priorities with broader enterprise strategic goals, managing the business profitably, developing talent, collaborating with cross-organizational stakeholders, responding to market opportunities, and leading through disruptive organizational changes.
This immersive experience highlights the impact of leadership decisions on business outcomes. Teams that prioritize leadership development and address direct-report strengths and weaknesses see significant improvement throughout the experience, proving the program’s effectiveness in cultivating leaders needed for sustained organizational success and rapid growth.
As a result of the Emerging Leaders Program, participants develop and learn skills to:
The Emerging Leaders Program is a comprehensive and highly integrated leadership development experience. The leadership journey begins with participants completing a 360-degree personal assessment to gain insights on their leadership strengths and development opportunities. Each participant is paired with a professional coach whom they meet with throughout the program.
Expert facilitators present and teach critical leadership skills, which include identifying and growing talent, leading in a matrix organization, collaborating across organizational boundaries, effectively communicating using inquiry and advocacy, leading through organizational and market changes, and managing work and wellness by focusing on strategic priorities and making difficult decisions.
The business simulation is designed to be an integrative experience, allowing participants to practice and apply the skills described above. During the simulation, participants must develop their employees and leadership team, invest in strategic opportunities that align with company strategy and goals, communicate with stakeholders, and improve the financial performance of the business.
The Emerging Leaders Program also includes employee conversations, commonly known as role plays. The conversations reflect typical leadership challenges participants face regularly and are designed to reinforce the program’s learning objectives. Sample conversations include having a difficult discussion with a senior leader, collaborating with stakeholders who have conflicting goals, and managing a team of direct reports who are struggling with a change in leadership.
There are five unique employee conversations over the duration of the program.
During the Emerging Leaders Program simulation, participants assume the role of a Senior Manager of a multi-function department in a health information and service business called HealthSmart. HealthSmart is a business unit in a larger enterprise known as IIC. The positioning of HealthSmart in a larger business provides opportunities for cross-organizational collaboration, resource sharing, and communication.
As Senior Manager within HealthSmart, participants must work effectively with their direct manager as well as other functional peers. They are responsible for managing and leading a product development team and regional customer service teams.
Over the course of three business quarters, simulation teams encounter various opportunities and challenges as they work to achieve both company-wide goals and their own. Each quarter, simulation teams must select and manage key performance indicators; evaluate, authorize, and execute strategic initiatives; develop their employees and teams; allocate their leadership time; and communicate with stakeholders.
After each round of decision-making, the simulation facilitator leads a discussion to help participants understand how their decisions impacted the simulation results and to relate the challenges presented in the simulation to their real-life leadership challenges at work.
First launched in 2006, the Emerging Leaders Program has evolved to meet the needs of the business as it grew from a relatively small company to one with annual sales exceeding $30 billion. Each year, approximately 250-300 employees participate as the company continues its robust growth and prioritizes filling its leadership pipeline. The program's success and value are evident in its resilience through several changes in talent development leadership and chief executive officers.
Attending the program is considered a significant milestone for company employees. Level IV measurement studies show that participants have higher rates of promotion and retention. The program also offers a valuable platform for networking across the business.
The program has been delivered globally, including at multiple sites in Europe, Asia, and the United States. During the pandemic, the program transitioned to a virtual format. It continues to be delivered virtually due to its effectiveness and cost savings.
The Emerging Leaders Program has been exceptionally well received, with participants consistently reporting enhanced leadership skills and a stronger ability to navigate complex organizational challenges. This positive feedback, along with tangible improvements in promotion and retention rates, underscores the significant impact the program has had on both individual careers and the company’s overall growth.