EO is different – your leadership development should be too
Leading in an employee-owned business – it’s different. Different responsibilities, different opportunities, different rewards. Ask those who do it well and they’ll confirm that leading employee owners requires a different mindset and skills to leading in a ‘conventional’ business.
Yet the need for EO-specific leadership development is often ignored.
Or it was, until now – because it was recognising transition’s impact on both new and existing leaders that led J Gadd Associates to partner with Telos and the Employee Ownership Association to create our latest leadership development programme last year.
Recognising the impact of transition
‘How to be an empowering leader or manager in an EO business’ was launched via EO Learn as five virtual half-day sessions run over three months from last September.
Designed to enable delegates to foster and develop a growth mindset, as well as engage, inspire and empower employees, feedback from the first cohort is strong.
Registrations for the next course, starting in March, are now open on the EOA website, and JGA Lead Associate Garry Davis is excited.
Drawing on his experience of leading and enabling others to lead and energise engagement, in an EO business, he’s worked closely with Telos to design and deliver a programme that can flex to individuals’ needs.
‘How to be an empowering leader or manager in an EO business’ has also been ‘sense-checked’ by other EO businesses and influencers via the EOA’s membership council and board, to ensure it meets the bar for EO Learn.
‘Often, during transition, the focus is on the financial and legal transaction, but founders and owners should also be looking at their leaders’ capacity to lead themselves and others in a co-owned business’
Garry Davis
Realising the benefits of a growth mindset
The first delegates came from organisations at all stages of EO transition, and quickly established trust and rapport. This generated high levels of openness, challenge and encouragement as they learned from each other’s experiences. Garry is confident the next cohort will do the same.
‘How to be an empowering leader or manager in an EO business’ meets a clear need with its blend of focused input, practical application and facilitated reflection on real experiences to bring the learning to life.
So why was Telos the right partner for J Gadd Associates?
‘For me, Telos’s extensive experience in leadership development across a wide range of organisations complements that of JGA. This shared expertise, combined with our understanding of EO transition, people development and what it takes to lead co-owners effectively, sets this programme apart.
‘Telos’s Growth Mindset psychometric tool and the opportunity to network and learn from other EO leaders are also core strengths.’
Learning from the experience of other EO leaders
In fact, Garry identifies the ‘hunger to learn from their peers’ as a key contributor to its early success.
‘The first delegates quickly built trust and rapport, and we saw high levels of openness, challenge and encouragement. The Growth Mindset tool really challenged their current thinking and transformed limiting beliefs.’
So who is ‘How to be an empowering leader or manager in an EO business’ for?
Not only leaders in transitioning and newly EO businesses, but also those in established organisations who might be new to EO or their team. By addressing the impact on leaders when businesses become employee-owned, the course supports them to grow.
'Telos’s extensive experience in leadership development… complements that of JGA. This shared expertise, combined with our understanding of EO transition, people development and what it takes to lead co-owners effectively, sets this programme apart’
Garry Davis
Working with trusted partners to secure EO success
‘Often, during an EO transition, the main focus is on the financial and legal transaction,’ Garry reveals, ‘but founders and owners should also be looking at their leaders’ capacity to lead themselves and others in a co-owned business, to secure their future success.
‘At JGA, we understand the impact of transition on leaders and why a growth mindset is essential when preparing for change. If that impact isn’t addressed, it can limit the organisation’s capacity to energise the culture and realise the full potential of becoming EO.’
Next steps
The next fully virtual ‘EO Learn – How to be an empowering leader or manager in an EO business’ development programme starts on 3rd March 2022. You can find out more, and register, via EO Learn on the EOA website.
If you would like to know more about how JGA can support you with our Transition, People and Governance services, please get in touch here