BAT · Global consumer goods
Helping a brand-new global BAT team build trust and collaboration in months
A new team of thirty-four people from seventeen countries, working on a high-priority product category, who had never worked together. Two years later the category had grown by more than 250% without increasing headcount.
The challenge: 34 people from 17 countries
When BAT moved its product development research (R&D) for one of its product categories from the United States to Southampton, it brought together a completely new team of thirty-four people from seventeen different countries. The technical capability was strong, but the group had never worked together before. Expectations varied, communication styles differed and cultural norms shaped how openly people were willing to speak.
In some cultures, questioning a manager is expected. In others, it is avoided. With such a diverse mix, silence sometimes replaced the challenge and collaboration the work required.
The approach: two days of team development with DiSC
Inner Leader delivered two full days of development for the entire team. The sessions were practical, honest and highly interactive. Everything DiSC, a personality profiling tool, gave the team a shared language for understanding each other, and the psychological safety work helped people speak openly without worrying about hierarchy. Communication and presentation activities encouraged leaders to break old habits. Personal brand work strengthened confidence.
For many, it was the first time they had paused to talk openly about how they worked together. There was no hierarchy in the room. Everyone contributed.
People were polite, but they were cautious. You could feel people choosing their words carefully. The ideas were there, but the confidence to share them wasn't.
Chris KellerCategory lead, BAT
What happened next
The impact became clear as soon as the team returned to daily work. Meetings that had previously felt slow and tentative became livelier. People spoke earlier and with more confidence. Junior members began making suggestions that pushed the work forward. Senior colleagues listened with curiosity.
As trust deepened, the team became more independent. Meetings that once required the leader's presence began running effectively without him.
Why it mattered
This cultural shift became a foundation for the division's performance. The category achieved more than 250% growth over two years without increasing headcount. That level of output is only possible when people feel able to contribute fully and work together with real trust.
The programme was one part of a wider engagement: Inner Leader also delivered one-to-one coaching and leadership team development across the division, creating layers of support at every level.
Before, everyone stayed in their own lane. Afterwards, helping each other became instinctive.
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