An ambitious, high-performing commercial leader in a healthcare business in the Middle East had been promoted into her first senior leadership role. The step up was bigger than she had anticipated. Former peers now reported to her, she was the first woman to hold the position, and she was tasked with leading an organisational change for which there was no established playbook.

Our work focused on the shift from individual achievement to leadership — establishing credibility, bringing her team with her, communicating difficult change, and developing the patience and perspective that senior leadership requires. Over 18 months, including a period of significant economic disruption, she developed greater perspective and confidence in her leadership and earned the respect of her team. At the end of the engagement, her management assessed her progress and concluded that she would be ready for her next promotion in the near future.