Growing a business requires a different type of leadership than starting one. The decisions become bigger. Teams become larger. Systems become more complex. Opportunities multiply, but so do distractions, risks and competing priorities.
While making big decisions, such as how to scale without becoming the bottleneck, how to create a more predictable pipeline and which opportunities are worth pursuing, it is vital leaders keep their teams as priority – as essential drivers of your commercial success. Without their motivation, satisfaction, and commitment, there is little to drive your ambitions forward.
According to a study from the Chartered Management Institute, half of those who say their bosses are ineffective, planned to quit within the next year – with 82% of workers entering management positions having not had any formal management and leadership training, adding to the UK’s stock of “accidental managers.”
In Series 4 of our podcast, OxTalks, we caught up with Executive Coach and Leadership Expert, Claire Croft, on what defines effective leadership in today’s workplace, why poor leadership continues to drive employees away from organisations and how businesses can move beyond command-and-control approaches, to create cultures where people thrive – utilising support where available to drive forward success.
Enterprise Oxfordshire’s fully-funded Commercial Leadership for Growth Programme has been designed for business leaders who want to scale with greater confidence, make better commercial decisions and learn directly from those who have successfully navigated similar challenges.
A programme for ambitious founders, CEOs and senior leaders of Oxfordshire businesses employing over 5 employees, over five face-to-face sessions hosted at inspirational business locations across Oxfordshire, participants will explore the commercial disciplines that underpin sustainable growth – at no cost.
Each session combines practical frameworks, peer discussion and direct access to successful founders, CEOs and commercial leaders who bring the topic to life through their own experiences.
Each session will follow the following format:
- Commercial Leadership Masterclass (45 minutes) – Practical tools, frameworks and insight focused on a key growth challenge.
- Peer Discussion & Challenge (45 minutes) – Facilitated discussion enabling leaders to share experiences, test ideas and learn from each other.
- Commercial Leader Spotlight (30 + 15 minutes) – A founder, CEO or senior commercial leader shares their journey, lessons learned, mistakes made and how they approached the challenge in practice.
- Networking Lunch (45 minutes)
Following the workshops, participants will be invited to join a facilitated peer-to-peer advisory group for facilitated challenge and accountability, which will consist of four online sessions, fortnightly. Participants will share and discuss their growth plans and bring live business issues to the group to receive practical support from fellow leaders who understand the realities of growth.
By the end of the programme, participants will have:
- Greater strategic clarity – a clearer understanding of where future growth will come from and which opportunities deserve investment.
- Stronger commercial decision-making – improved confidence when making decisions about people, investment, pricing, markets and growth.
- A more resilient growth model – better visibility of risks, bottlenecks and dependencies that could limit future growth.
- Increased leadership effectiveness – greater confidence in leading teams, delegating responsibility and focusing on the highest-value activities.
- A practical growth plan – a realistic 12-month action plan with clear priorities, milestones and measures of success.
- A trusted network – ongoing relationships with ambitious business leaders across Oxfordshire who can provide support, challenge and fresh perspectives long after the programme ends.
Session dates:
- 20th October: Define Your Strategy and Growth Choices – Making better growth decisions and building a focused roadmap (Bee House, Milton Park).
- 3rd November: Choose Your Model, Pricing and Sales Strategy – Creating profitable growth and developing a stronger sales engine (Bicester Motion).
- 17th November: Making Financial Decisions for Growth – Using financial insight to make smarter investment and scaling decisions (Boston House, Grove Business Park).
- 1st December: Build the Systems and Operations for Growth – Building the operational foundations required for sustainable growth (venue TBC).
- 15th December: Build Your Team and Lead for Growth – Creating the structure, capability and culture required to deliver growth (Wood Centre for Innovation).
More details on each session will be provided after registration. We would encourage participants to join the whole programme, however, if some sessions or dates don’t work, then full attendance is not required.
More Articles
How can you tell whether exporting is the right next step for your business?
Are you ready to move from “should we export?” to actually winning customers overseas?
Reconnect, Refocus, and Reach Further: Why You Need the Oxfordshire SME Leadership Retreat
Step back, think differently, and expand what’s possible for your business. Join an exclusive cohort of Oxfordshire SME leaders this September for a 2-day residential retreat led by award-winning coach Duncan Skelton. Reset your leadership, solve real-world growth challenges, and build a lasting peer network.
How the Growth and Skills Levy helps Oxfordshire employers open doors for young talent
Today thousands of Oxfordshire students are opening their A-level results and deciding what comes next. A growing number are choosing an apprenticeship over university. If your business is thinking about taking on new talent this year, the Growth and Skills Levy could help you fund it.