Rebel leader

Context and Challenges

Within a premier industrial organization, a division encountered significant operational challenges. Work demands substantially exceeded capacity, leading to elevated stress levels among staff. The Division's Managing Director (MD), while dedicated to preserving the division's reputation for high-impact performance, acknowledged the untenability of the prevailing conditions. Faced with a critical decision, the division stood at a crossroads: persist in a manner that could precipitate staff burnout and turnover, or pursue a radical transformation. The implications were considerable, affecting not only team welfare but also the division's long term viability.

Objectives

The primary objective was clear—reduce workload and stress while enhancing focus, strategic vision, and overall team resilience. The goal was not only to safeguard the team's health but also to foster an environment where strategic thinking and effective prioritization could flourish. The MD sought a sustainable solution that would equip his team with the tools and mindsets necessary to navigate the demands of their roles more sustainably.

QiLeader Approach

QiLeader implemented a customized blended program, specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of the division. Designed for seamless integration into the team's highly demanding schedule, the program combines self-paced online micro-content with more traditional, collective onsite sessions. This innovative approach required minimum time commitment from participants while delivering substantial outcomes.

The program kicked off with an inspiring keynote to set the tone for transformation, followed by practical workshops, group coaching sessions, and sharing moments to facilitate a collective journey toward change.

The program, like always at QiLeader, was designed to create a new mindset and new sustainable behaviours. It addressed the following topics:

Managing Stress & Overwhelm

techniques to balance short-term pressures with long-term vision.

Priority Management

Strategies for focusing on what truly matters

Empowerment to Say No

building boundaries to protect time and energy.

Delegation and Automation

streamlining processes to reduce manual workload.

Process Improvement and Batching

enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in daily tasks.

These topics went beyond theoretical concepts, being directly applied to the team's specific situation to ensure relevance and immediate practical use.

Results

The QiLeader program was a significant force for positive transformation within the division. It successfully brought about notable improvements in both leadership qualities and team dynamics:

Workload Management: the program significantly eased the burden of work, enabling more efficient task handling, effective delegation, and streamlined processes while further increasing performance.
Retention and Satisfaction: it fostered a more satisfying and engaging work environment, increasing employee loyalty and reducing turnover intentions.
Stress Reduction: participants experienced a marked decrease in stress, benefiting from strategies that enhanced work-life balance and overall well-being.

Besides, the program significantly enhanced organizational performance:

Achieving Objectives: The division saw improved goal attainment, with clearer strategic focus and better alignment with organizational objectives.
Energy and Engagement: There was a noticeable uplift in energy and enthusiasm, revitalizing the workplace atmosphere and driving higher levels of motivation and engagement.

These outcomes highlight the transformative effect of the QiLeader program on the three levels (individual, team and organizational), shifting the culture from overwhelmed to strategic and engaged, setting the stage for continued success and well-being.

A testament to the program's efficacy was the division's CFO, who was on the verge of burnout. Through her participation, she found renewed energy, motivation, and impact—highlighting the program's ability to rejuvenate individual leaders and catalyze organizational change.

Implementing the QiLeader program in this specific division showcased the transformative power of addressing leadership and team dynamics with empathy, strategic insight, and scalable solutions. The self-paced online micro-content was a game-changer, allowing the program to be integrated into the team's busy schedules with minimal time investment but maximal results. This approach not only resolved immediate issues but also laid the foundation for a more resilient, motivated, and strategically focused team. It had an immediate positive ROI thanks to a decrease in absenteeism and a higher retention rate.

More generally, all QiLeaders programs demonstrate the profound impact that holistic and tailored leadership development courses can have on organizational health, employee well-being, and business success, setting a new standard for leadership in fast and busy times.

Proven benefits of the QiLeader approach on results, profits, well-being, engagement and turnover

On top of reaching each company’s personalized goals, QiLeader also aims at rebooting leaders and their teams for more impact in fast & busy times, by deeply reprogramming their habits. Research among 500 respondents shows that a rebooted leader (i.e. a leader who adopted the 5 habits of fast & busy times, namely: Rhythm, Purpose, Growth Mindset, Resilience and Focus) shows significantly better results compared to a more traditional leader or employee. For instance, a rebooted QiLeader is 72% more motivated than a traditional leader or employee, experiencing less stress (by 59%) and a decreased workload (by 45%). The likelihood of this QiLeader looking for another job is also decreased by 50%.

The same research shows that rebooted leaders work on average 10% less than traditional leaders while having 47% more impact, impact being defined in terms of reaching one’s objectives.

Assessments taken by participants to QiLeader programs before and after the training show an increased adaptability to the fast & busy times, with an average progression of 28% across the 5 habits assessed in 3 to 4 months. Biggest improvements are visible in Mindset (moving from a fixed to growth mindset) and in Focus (From overwhelmed & operational to focused and strategic.

QiLeader program shows positive ROI in year one thanks to decreased employee turnover and absenteeism

Decreased absenteeism

The cumulative effect of increased impact, energy and motivation, together with decreased workload and stress results in a significant drop in absenteeism. The QiLeader techniques applied by Murielle Machiels during her time as CEO of an educational publishing company resulted in a 50% decrease in absenteeism. QiLeader also relies on a number of testimonials from participants saying that they avoided burnout thanks to the principles learned through QiLeader courses.

In Belgium, absenteeism is estimated at 10% per year and research shows an average cost of absenteeism of 2.450€ per year per employee.

For a group of 20 leaders, the absenteeism cost would be approximately 49.000€.

Decreased employee turnover

Average employee turnover rate is 10% depending on your industry. The cost of replacing a leader varies between 50% and 213% of their annual salary cost. For a group of 20 leaders with an annual salary cost of 100.000€, the employee turnover cost would be at least 100.000€ (50% of the annual salary cost of 2 people). This cost includes loss in productivity, replacement costs, recruitment costs, onboarding costs…

Our research shows that rebooted Qileaders are 50% less likely to look for another job.

See this participant’s testimonial: “It was a crisis moment for me at that point, because I was choosing between ‘Do I stay in this company? Maybe I should go someplace else…’ or ‘Do I find a way to make myself more motivated? And doing the course remotivated me.” (full testimonial here: https://youtu.be/zwRw0h7DeW0).

The ROI of the program based on previous results & research (only taking into account absenteeism and retention)

The program costs:

30.000€ for 20 leaders

Estimated 50% reduction of absenteeism:

24.500€ lower costs

Estimated 50% reduction in employee turnover:

50.000€ lower costs

Estimated profit increase

44.500€

A mere 20% decrease of absenteeism and retention (which is very conservative), would already break-even.

Mindset-based training increases profits three times more than standard business training

A World Bank study, conducted in partnership with the National University of Singapore Business School and Leuphana University, revealed that mindset-based training increases profits with 30% while traditional business training increases profits with 11%. This study was conducted among 1,500 entrepreneurs divided into 3 groups. One group didn’t receive any training and served as base to compare the other two. One group received a business training and one group received a mindset-based training.

The cost of the mindset- based training was already repaid within the first year thanks to increased profits and is 3 times more profitable than a classic business training.

QiLeader is a mindset-based training and is more sustainable in the long-term as employees and leaders are better equipped to deal with change but also to whatever challenge they face. More traditional business trainings (focusing on hard skills only) get rapidly obsolete as techniques evolve rapidly in the market.

Success Stories

Transforming Organizational Well-being and Performance at a Leading FMCG Multinational

(to be written)

Industry

From Overwhelmed & Operational to Focused & Strategic in an International Industrial Company

Within a premier industrial organization, a division encountered significant operational challenges. Work demands substantially exceeded capacity, leading to elevated stress levels among staff.

Success Stories

Downlaod our Brochure