Health/medical services company International SOS designed its Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP) to enhance the leadership capabilities of employees who have a minimum of two to three years of management experience and have been identified as high potentials for senior leadership roles.
Program Details
This six-month program includes a 3.5-day face-to-face session and several virtual Webinars and workshops. This program was first piloted in 2015 in the European region; the company rolled it out in Asia-Pacific in 2023.
Each cohort in the program has delegates from nine to 10 business units comprising Medical Services, Government Services, Aviation and Maritime, Corporate, Finance, Legal, IT, Human Resources, Sales & Marketing, and Medical and Security Assistance Services.
The ELDP curriculum encompasses the following key areas:
- Self-awareness: Participants engage in psychometric assessments and subsequent debriefs to enhance their self-awareness.
- Team performance: Leveraging DISC behavioral styles, the program focuses on optimizing team dynamics.
- Unique leadership style: Participants develop their distinctive leadership approach based on their individual traits.
- Coaching techniques: Essential coaching skills for both individual and group coaching are covered.
- Inclusive leadership: The program emphasizes fostering an inclusive and diverse leadership mindset.
- Innovative thinking: Participants explore innovative approaches to problem solving and decision-making.
- Strengths-based leadership: ELDP leverages the Gallup Clifton Strengths Assessment for each individual, emphasizing a strength-based approach to personal development. By identifying and nurturing an individual’s top strengths, the program transforms their self-perception, interactions with colleagues, and ability to make a positive impact.
Senior leaders participate in fireside conversations, providing valuable insights and sharing pivotal leadership moments. In addition, several Group Executive Committee (ExCo) members—including the CEO of Medical Services, CEO of Assistance Services, CEO of Government Services, CFO of Assistance Services, President and CEO of Asia, and Group General Counsel—actively participate in this program as mentors. During face-to-face sessions, these top management leaders share their leadership stories and experiences, fostering informal networking opportunities with participants over lunch and evening gatherings.
Training is reinforced through a series of Webinars and workshops after the program. These sessions cover the following topics:
- Strategic Thinking
- Finance for leaders
- Clifton Strengths Debrief
- Leading People through Change
- Influencing without Authority
The impact of this program on individual development is assessed through several key measures:
- Strengths growth: International SOS tracks the growth and utilization of an individual’s identified strengths.
- Self-perception: Regular self-assessments allow participants to reflect on their progress. These assessments help individuals recognize changes in their self-perception, confidence, and leadership abilities.
- 360-degree feedback: Colleagues, managers, and direct reports provide feedback on participants’ leadership behaviors. This comprehensive view helps identify areas for improvement and growth.
- Behavioral changes: Observing changes in behavior—such as improved communication, decision-making, and collaboration—indicates program impact.
- Leadership stories: Participants share their leadership stories, demonstrating how they’ve applied program insights. These narratives reveal tangible outcomes and growth.
- Mentorship impact: Interaction with top management mentors provides valuable learning experiences. Assessing mentorship impact helps measure individual development.
Quarterly Alumni Virtual Reunions are organized for all graduates of this program to help them connect with each other globally, exchange best practices implemented and achieved post- program, and learn from each other. The company also invites graduates from this program to share their leadership journey and experiences with new cohorts.
Results
Three-months after the initial pilot group completed the program, 82 percent of graduates reported a change in behavior, and 90 percent of the managers confirmed a noticeable and measurable change in job performance of their direct reports.
Some 47 percent of program participants were promoted into leadership roles or expanded their responsibilities, which is in line with the company’s goal. International SOS also improved by three times its retention rate of high performers.
