The challenge

To deliver on a large-scale modernisation and digitisation strategy, the insurer needed leaders with stronger adaptive leadership capability, improved data and digital maturity, and the ability to apply new skills directly to productivity and performance challenges.

Program design

• Program: Future Skills Leadership Development Program
• Audience: 650 people leaders across 10 business units
• Duration: Two 8-week learning sprints delivered over 5 months
• Time commitment: Each sprint required just 7 hours of learning per leader, with a strong focus on on-the-job application
• Format: Diagnostics, self-paced learning, webinars, virtual workshops, peer huddles, retrospectives, and on-the-job application
• Learning approach: Agile sprint methodology with purposeful experimentation, reflection, and behavioural tracking

The program approach focused on:

• Embedding adaptive leadership and data/digital-savvy mindsets through targeted behavioural experiments
• Using skills assessments to identify development priorities across adaptive leadership and data maturity
• Reinforcing learning through webinars, curated content, peer huddles, virtual workshops, and real-world practice
• Supporting leaders to trial 1–3 micro-behaviours each sprint and track outcomes in their teams
• Building digital fluency through digital tools, data sets, and generative AI during experimentation
• Capturing behavioural shifts, confidence gains, and performance outcomes through retrospective case studies

The results

• 43% found more effective or new ways of working in sprint 2, indicating meaningful productivity gains
• AI use increased by 20 percentage points (56% pre-program to 76% regularly using AI after sprint 1)
• 37% discovered ways to increase capacity or save time in sprint 1
• 13.5% improvement in data maturity from pre-sprint 1 to post-sprint 2
• 85% attendance across all activities in this opt-in program
• 94% saw clear benefit in applying sprint learnings to day-to-day leadership
• 82% completed a reflective case study documenting learning, application, and outcomes
• Leaders reported gains in collaboration, strategic thinking, team development, problem-solving, and time-saving approaches

What this shows

Agile learning sprints with low time commitment and on-the-job experimentation can lift leadership capability and data maturity while improving day-to-day performance.

Client perspective
“Previously, I only had agile-adaptive mindset when things were going well. This learning sprint has helped me expand to having the mindset in changing circumstances, challenges and ambiguity.” – Participant leader

“Introducing regular feedback loops within the team has significantly enhanced communication and collaboration. Team members are now more engaged and proactive in addressing issues, resulting in smoother project execution and a stronger sense of collective ownership.” – Participant leader

“Staff knowledge has been broadened…team engagement has improved, and my own time has been freed up to spend more time working on the business instead of in the business. Found time to work on new reports, business process improvements… Shorter turnaround times on queries have resulted in better customer service and outcomes.”  – Participant leader

“I have used many of the tecjniques and behaviours from sprint 1 and our huddles, whilst avoiding negative behaviours, like defaulting to quick fixes. The sulture change has been amazing!”  – Participant leader

‍