Building Leadership Capability to Support Growth and Profitability

Context

Hampden Bank commissioned Taylor Clarke to design and deliver a leadership development programme to build consistency of leadership, embed values and support the organisation’s ambition to move from loss-making to sustainable profitability.

The programme was designed to support leaders at three critical stages of their leadership journey, while creating shared leadership language and behaviours across the organisation.

Programme Objectives

The leadership programmes were designed to:

• Create consistency of leadership approach and behaviour

• Develop and retain leadership talent across the organisation

• Embed values into decision-making, communication and key processes

• Improve collaboration, communication and stakeholder value

• Strengthen leadership capability to support business performance

Programme Design

Delegates were grouped into cohorts of 10–12 across three leadership populations:

• Future Leaders (Aspire)

• Mid-Level Managers (Inspire)

• Senior Leaders (Achieve)

While each programme was tailored to the experience and accountability of the audience, all cohorts explored common leadership themes, including psychological safety, emotional intelligence, values-led leadership, communication and coaching.

The same core leadership models were used throughout, adapted to reflect the expectations and responsibilities at each leadership level.

Delivery Approach

Programmes were delivered in person over a series of modular workshops, typically spanning three to six days, with each module spaced approximately one month apart to support reflection and application.

Cohort-based learning enabled participants to build strong relationships across the organisation, improving collaboration beyond the programme itself. Leaders were encouraged to bring live organisational challenges into the sessions, ensuring relevance and immediate application.

Innovative elements of the programme included:

• Strengths and insight-based discovery to improve self-awareness and communication

• Cross-organisational feedback to surface blind spots and improve collaboration

• Site visits to high-performing organisations in other sectors to bring external perspective

• Senior leadership “show and tell” sessions to reinforce learning, visibility and accountability

Scale and Reach

In total, 92 colleagues participated across the three programmes. At the outset, organisational values were newly formed and not yet embedded. Through the programmes, these values became integrated into induction, appraisal processes and internal communications.

Impact and Outcomes

The leadership programmes contributed to measurable shifts in leadership behaviour, engagement and organisational effectiveness.

Leadership and talent outcomes included:

• Improved communication and collaboration across leadership groups

• Greater leadership visibility and more inclusive leadership styles

• Clearer delegation and decision-making, reducing bottlenecks

• Strong internal progression, with many Future Leaders moving into promoted roles

• Establishment of an internal “Aspire Board” to sustain leadership development benefits

Organisational outcomes included:

• Improved stakeholder confidence and value creation

• A stronger, values-led leadership culture

• Significant business performance improvement over the period

At programme inception, Hampden Bank reported a £3m loss. By 2024, the organisation reported net profit of £8.2m, with double-digit growth in lending and deposits, the relaunch of its digital banking app, expansion plans for a third city presence, and the payment of dividends for the first time in the year following programme launch.

While these outcomes reflect multiple contributing factors, leadership capability and cultural alignment were recognised internally as important enablers of change.

Feedback and Insight

Delegate feedback was consistently positive, with participants highlighting the quality, relevance and impact of the programmes. One senior leader commented:

“As a senior leader in financial services for 20 years, this has been the best course I have ever participated in.”

Feedback gathered during the programme also provided valuable insight for the Executive team, including the need for increased leadership visibility and more effective delegation. These insights were acted upon during the programme, reinforcing trust and accelerating behaviour change.

Sustained Value

The leadership programmes have helped Hampden Bank develop a strong internal leadership pipeline and embed values-led leadership across the organisation. The creation of internal leadership forums and continued focus on development have helped sustain momentum as the business continues to grow.