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#InspireBelief
LEAD™ Alumni Case Studies
Real businesses. Real leaders. Real results. See what LEAD™ has delivered for businesses like yours.
2000%
Return on investment
300+
Leaders Trained
27+
Cohorts Since 2011
Proven Results
Results that speak for themselves.
Every LEAD™ participant has a different starting point. But the pattern is consistent: leaders grow, businesses transform and the investment pays for itself.
Construction & Engineering
Values-Led Leadership and Business Growth
Cosgrove & Drew Engineering Services, Bristol
The Challenge
Founded in 2014 with just two employees and £80k turnover, co-founders Zac and Luke had no business plan, no financial reporting and no formal leadership structure. They gre by instinct, without a plan behind it.
The Journey
Through LEAD™, they developed a values-driven "6C" behaviour framework with their entire team, introduced market segmentation and KPI dashboards, and built a bespoke career development system. They've since invested in multiple people on LEAD™ and LEADlight programmes and Zac achieved his MBA via work-based learning from the LEAD™, GOLD™ and GAIN™ programmes.
Read Full Case Study →£10m
Turnover (from £80k)
55
Employees (from 2)
3
Offices Nationwide
Foodservice
Believe in More: A Culture Change
Creed Foodservice, Gloucestershire
The Challenge
A family-run foodservice business needing to professionalise its leadership structure, manage succession and embed a culture of values across a growing national operation.
The Journey
Starting with CEO Chris Creed, the impact of LEAD™ cascaded across the business. Sixteen directors have now completed the programme, creating a common leadership language and enabling a step change in culture. Non-family members were empowered in senior roles, and a values-driven "Believe in More" ethos was embedded company-wide.
Read Full Case Study →500%+
Business Growth
16
Directors on LEAD™
50+
Years in Business
Family Business · Dairy
Transformational Change and Business Growth
Cotteswold Dairy, Gloucestershire
The Challenge
A third-generation family business with 450+ employees dealing with volatile markets, complex succession dynamics and the need for a company-wide culture change programme.
The Journey
MD George Workman and Operations Director Justin Young used LEAD™, GOLD™ and GAIN™ to drive transformational change across the business. They identified five key ingredients for culture change, invested in leadership development at every level, and introduced continuous improvement programmes that delivered measurable operational gains.
Read Full Case Study →50%
Waste Reduced
33%
Less Downtime
20%
Fuel Savings
Food & Retail
The Rise and Rise of B Corp and Their Business
Hobbs House Bakery, South Gloucestershire
The Challenge
A fifth-generation family bakery navigating the weight of succession, scaling production capacity and meeting growing customer demands around sustainability and provenance - all while competing in a challenging market.
The Journey
MD George Herbert completed LEAD™ and GOLD™, developing the confidence and skills to take the reins from his father. The programme inspired Hobbs House to pursue B Corp certification, transforming their supply chain to embrace regenerative agriculture. Four members of the senior team have now completed LEAD™.
Read Full Case Study →167%
Revenue Growth
160
Staff
B Corp
Certified
Recycling & Sustainability
Succession in a Family Business
Printwaste Recycling & Shredding, Gloucestershire
The Challenge
After nearly 40 years in business, MD Don Robins knew succession was the priority - but also knew it would be far easier to sell. The challenge was developing the next generation of family and non-family leaders to take the business forward.
The Journey
Don completed LEAD™, GOLD™ and GAIN™, earning his MBA along the way. His learning in coaching and delegation was shared directly with the next generation - five of whom have also completed LEAD™. The result: future leaders now step up with confidence, making decisions at every level and planning for controlled, profitable growth.
Read Full Case Study →40+
Years in Business
5
Next-Gen on LEAD™
MBA
Achieved
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Insights
The patterns we see.
Confidence transforms first
91% of participants report lacking confidence before LEAD™. After the programme, 100% say they feel more effective. They make decisions faster and second-guess themselves less.
People performance follows
As leaders develop, so do their teams. From Cosgrove & Drew's "6C" framework to Creed's "Believe in More" values - culture change cascades through the business.
Business results accelerate
A typical £3m business sees movement to £4.26m with £315k additional profit within two years - a 2000% return on the programme investment.
The peer network endures
Over 80% of alumni continue with their peer network long after the programme ends. As George Workman says: "You get input from other people and you feel accountable."
"If LEAD™ was mandatory in business, what a great country we'd have."
Chairman, Creed Foodservice
Talk to us about your business.
Each of these businesses started by talking to us about where they were and where they wanted to be. We're happy to have the same conversation with you.
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