Case study 02:

How we created a consistent leadership benchmark

Large Defence Organisation

The challenge:

How do you create consistent leadership standard across hundreds of leaders?

This defence organisation recognised that leadership was mission-critical to delivering change. Yet, leadership behaviours and standards varied widely. Different leaders role-modelled different expectations, and managers lacked a common benchmark for success.
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Without clear leadership expectations, the organisation risked inconsistency, inefficiency, and slower progress on transformation. The first step was to define one clear, shared articulation of what great leadership looks like.

The approach:

A clear, compelling, and co-created leadership standard.

We designed a three-step process for rigour, credibility, and buy-in:

1. Top-down input
We began with 13 senior leaders, gathering their views on the expectations for leaders and managers.

2. Evidence-led design
Leader insight was combined with external benchmarking and existing internal data to build a robust first draft.

3. Shaping with employees
We iterated that draft with input from over 50 people across the organisation, ensuring the final version reflected lived experience and resonated at every level.

The outcome was a simple, actionable set of leadership expectations, deliberately designed to complement existing frameworks.

External research.

A review of eight competitors, the behaviours required for success in the future of retail, and a generational workforce needs review.

Internal sessions.

We conducted 49 ‘Walkaround Sessions’ with over 200 people across the organisation. We used these sessions to gather feedback, add detail, and iterate the content of the Culture Blueprint.

“A genuine pleasure to work with. Matt has a talent for cutting through complexity and spotting connections many others miss.  He's professional, efficient and great fun to collaborate with. The quality of his work speaks for itself. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him.”

Head of Leadership & Talent

The results:

One clear benchmark for leadership embedded in every touchpoint.

The final framework has outlined crystal-clear expectations for managers and leaders, with tangible ‘good’ and ‘bad’ leadership behaviours.

It’s now being embedded into:

Assessment – providing consistent and fair criteria.
Recruitment & Selection – guiding decisions about who steps into leadership roles.
Development – shaping programmes to build the leaders the organisation needs for the future.

The result is greater clarity, fairness, and confidence in leadership, setting a consistent standard across the entire organisation and strengthening the organisation’s ability to deliver change