Top Ivy League School Maximizes Organizational Efficiency
THE CHALLENGE
When the economic recession hit, many organizations were faced with tough budget cuts. Universities were no exception. In light of the recession, this ivy league university’s endowment was cut, significantly restricting administrative budgets. Administrators were faced with the difficult task of right-sizing the organization. Not surprisingly, employee engagement, morale, and satisfaction had decreased. The remaining employees needed to be more efficient to carry the additional load. Identifying leadership ability became crucial.
THE SOLUTION
The university partnered with Zenger Folkman to implement The Extraordinary Leader system with the administrative leaders of the university. The System included The Extraordinary Leader 360-degree assessment, a one-day Extraordinary Leader development experience, and follow-up one-on-one coaching.
After eighteen months, participants were invited to complete the 360-degree assessment a second time to evaluate their progress and what impact the program had on the university.
THE RESULTS
After completing a second Extraordinary Leader assessment, the variance in participants’ scores was analyzed. The results were as follows:
- 95% improved in one or more leadership competencies
- 64% showed significant improvement in their global leadership effectiveness
Administrators found that leaders whose leadership effectiveness scores improved had direct reports whose employee commitment scores had also significantly improved. In other words, direct reports who rated their leaders’ skills high also had higher levels of job satisfaction. The university was so pleased with the results of The Extraordinary Leader that it is now implementing the program at its faculty level as well.
