Harvey Nash · Recruitment
Bringing the Harvey Nash leadership team together during change
A long-serving Managing Director had left, the market was demanding and a national leadership team had not been in the same room for some time. One day together left the leaders re-energised, aligned and proud of the team they were part of.
The challenge for the UK and Ireland leadership team
When Harvey Nash invited Inner Leader to work with their UK and Ireland leadership team, the business had just been through significant change. A long-serving Managing Director had recently left, the market was demanding and a national group of leaders had not been in the same room together for some time. Some of the managers had never met in person at all.
Rather than pushing straight into performance conversations, the CEO made a deliberate decision to pause. This was a moment to show care for the leadership team, to build connection during a period of uncertainty and to bring people together as one group.
The approach: a Leadership Team Accelerator day
Inner Leader's Leadership Team Accelerator day, an intensive one-day session for a leadership team, was designed to do exactly that, with a focus on self-awareness, trust and shared responsibility.
The national leadership team came together in Leeds for a full day together. The intention was to give leaders space to check in with themselves, understand where they were operating from and reconnect with the kind of leaders they wanted to be, for their teams and for each other.
The sessions explored Above and Below the Line thinking (noticing whether you are taking ownership of a situation or slipping into blame and excuses), leadership beliefs and behaviours, inspirational leadership and the stages of team development, all brought to life through conversation, reflection and shared experience.
This wasn't about strategy or numbers. It was about us. About working stronger together, understanding what we need from each other, and becoming a more connected, effective leadership team.
What happened in the room
The day asked something different of the group. Leaders were invited to be fully present, to be honest with themselves and with each other and, at times, to show real courage. There were moments of discomfort, particularly during the vulnerability exercises. Leaders spoke openly about challenges, pressures and fears, creating a level of honesty that had not previously existed across the group.
These moments were held carefully, recognising that vulnerability is a cornerstone of authentic leadership.
The day concluded with a powerful, symbolic experience: leaders wrote down their biggest fears and quite literally broke through them in an arrow-breaking exercise. Unexpected, slightly unnerving and ultimately empowering, it became a shared moment that bonded the group.
The outcome for the leadership team
By the end of the day, the shift was tangible. Leaders left re-energised, aligned and proud of the team they were part of. The session gave the leadership team a shared language and practical reference points they could take back into the business. That clarity helped align expectations, reinforce responsibility and create a more consistent approach to leadership across the group.
The Harvey Nash CEO described the day as extraordinary, praising the energy and vulnerability shown by the leadership team and expressing pride in a group ready to take on the challenges of the market ahead.
We spend so much time trying to be strong for our teams, yet it's often presence and vulnerability that show our leadership at its strongest.
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