Client: An NHS Foundation Trust | Industry: Healthcare

LSP Leadership partnered with an NHS Foundation Trust specialising in provision of community-based and mental health services across multiple locations, supporting patients in hospitals, clinics and their own homes.

With a focus on integrated care, wellbeing, and patient-centred support, they play a vital role in delivering high-quality healthcare to diverse communities.

Its workforce includes clinicians, therapists and healthcare professionals who balance frontline care with leadership responsibilities in a fast-evolving NHS landscape.

The Trust recognised a critical need to develop confident, capable managers who could navigate the complexities of the NHS while fostering high-performing, resilient teams.

Many managers had transitioned from clinical roles into leadership without formal management training, leaving them to learn on the job in high-pressure environments. 

Key challenges included:

• Building self-awareness and adaptability – Managers needed to understand their leadership style and how to flex their approach to support diverse teams.
• ‍Creating a psychologically safe environment – Ensuring that teams felt supported, heard and empowered to perform at their best.
• ‍Developing coaching and feedback skills – Shifting from directive leadership to a coaching approach to enhance performance and team dynamics.
• ‍Managing change and decision-making – Equipping managers with practical tools to lead teams through transformation while maintaining staff morale and patient care standards.
• ‍Time and energy management – Helping leaders balance their workload and avoid burnout in a high-pressure NHS environment.

The Trust required a practical, engaging and immediately applicable programme to build essential leadership skills and ensure long-term impact.

LSP Leadership partnered with the Trust to design and deliver a three-day, in-person Foundational Management Programme, blending evidence-based leadership models with experiential learning.

The programme followed a structured, interactive approach, combining facilitated discussions, peer learning and real-world NHS case studies.

Pre-Programme Activities: Laying the Foundation for Success

To maximise impact, participants engaged in pre-programme activities designed to enhance self-awareness and align learning objectives:

• DiSC Psychometric Assessment – Each participant completed a DiSC personality profile before the programme, helping them understand their natural leadership style and how to adapt to others. This formed the foundation for discussions on communication, team dynamics, and personal effectiveness.
• Tripartite Meeting – A three-way conversation between the participant, their line manager, and a member of the OD team ensured alignment between individual development goals and organisational priorities. This session provided clarity on expectations, identified key areas for growth, and reinforced the organisation’s commitment to leadership development.
• Reflection on Personal Management Challenges – Participants were encouraged to identify real leadership challenges they faced in their roles and bring their lived experiences to the programme. This ensured that learning was practical, relevant, and immediately applicable to their workplace.

These pre-activities ensured that participants arrived engaged, self-aware, and ready to apply learning in their roles from day one.

3-Day Leadership Experience: Practical, Immersive and Impactful

The Foundational Management Programme was designed as an intensive, hands-on learning experience, equipping managers with the tools, confidence, and mindset to lead effectively in a demanding NHS environment. 

Each day focused on a different dimension of leadership, combining evidence-based models, live practice, peer learning, and real-world NHS scenarios to ensure immediate applicability. Sessions were highly interactive, with group discussions, coaching exercises, and senior leader insights woven throughout.

Day 1 – Managing Yourself

• DiSC profiling to enhance self-awareness and communication.
• Psychological safety and trust-building strategies to create strong teams.
• Time and energy management techniques to improve effectiveness.

Day 2 – Managing Your Team

• Coaching skills using the GROW model, helping managers shift from problem-solving to empowering their teams.
• The Drama Triangle & Empowerment Triangle, enabling managers to reframe workplace conflict and team dynamics.
• Reframing feedback using the Johari Window and giving effective feedback using the SBI model.

Day 3 – Managing in an Organisation

• Decision-making techniques using Six Thinking Hats to ensure well-rounded leadership perspectives.
• The Four Rooms of Change framework to help managers support teams through transition.
• Senior Leader Circles, where participants heard from a senior leader about their leadership journey, shared their own experiences of working within the NHS, and gained insights into navigating challenges at different levels of the organisation.
• Action planning and commitment setting to drive long-term behavioural change.

Key Features

• Real NHS Scenarios & Peer Learning - Ensuring relevance by integrating actual workplace challenges.
• Live Coaching & Feedback Practice - Allowing managers to develop confidence in difficult conversations.
• Senior Leader Circles - Direct engagement with senior leadership to bridge strategy and frontline experience.
• Personalised Action Planning - Ensuring long-term impact with follow-up support.

LSP Leadership worked closely with GHC to co-create a programme that was not just another training intervention, but a strategic leadership initiative.

• Bespoke NHS-Focused Content – The programme was designed specifically for the challenges of an NHS setting, ensuring immediate applicability.
• Iterative Design Process – We gathered feedback after each cohort, refining and enhancing content to maximise impact.
• Long-Term Partnership – LSP Leadership didn’t just deliver training—we worked alongside the Trust to embed a coaching culture and leadership mindset across the organisation.
• Peer Networks for Continuous Learning – Many participants took the initiative to form informal peer-led networks, providing ongoing support, knowledge-sharing, and accountability after the programme.

This approach meant that participants saw immediate benefits, and GHC recognised the programme as along-term investment in its people rather than a one-off intervention.

The programme’s success led to its rapid expansion. Originally scoped for four cohorts (72 managers), it was extended for one year to six additional cohorts, bringing the total to 10 cohorts (180 managers trained).

• Net Promoter Score (NPS): 96 – an exceptionally high recommendation rate
• Average Rating: 4.94/5 - demonstrating strong satisfaction
• Senior Leader Engagement – Participants valued the opportunity to connect with senior leaders in an open, candid environment
• Increased Confidence & Skill Development – Managers reported improved leadership, communication, and decision-making abilities

The programme didn’t end after three days—it sparked a lasting shift in how managers at GHC lead their teams. Participants took their learning beyond the classroom, embedding new approaches, strengthening peer connections, and shaping a more confident and capable leadership culture across the organisation.

• Programme Expansion – Due to its success, the programme was extended from four to ten cohorts, training 180 managers across GHC.
• Peer Networks Established – Participants formed informal, self-led peer support groups, continuing discussions, sharing challenges, and reinforcing learning.
• Embedding Coaching & Feedback Cultures – Managers began applying coaching techniques and structured feedback models, leading to noticeable shifts in team dynamics and engagement.

“Feeling invigorated, empowered and more positive about returning to work, every manager should get chance to experience this training.”

“Brilliant training, consistently engaging, relevant, provided opportunity to learn and discuss, lovely supportive group promoted a good learning environment”

“I previously thought my personality was a big barrier to being a good manager, but the facilitator changed my way of thinking.”

Through this collaboration, the Trust has built a stronger, more resilient leadership pipeline, ensuring that managers at all levels have the confidence, skills, and tools to lead effectively in a demanding healthcare environment.

Interested in a similar transformation for your organisation?