Global asset managers, Wellington Management partnered with Pilotlight to pioneer an innovative approach to leadership development, blending professional growth with meaningful social impact.
Through this collaboration, Pilotlight deployed skilled volunteering to enhance the firm's established leadership development programme, delivering tangible growth for participants and meaningful benefits to the charities they supported.
The Challenge: Putting Leadership Theory into Practice
Wellington Management's Leadership Development programme needed a way for participants to apply their learning in real-world situations. The challenge was finding opportunities that would allow leaders to practise new skills in environments different from their day-to-day work, whilst also creating meaningful impact for charities partnered with Wellington Management UK Foundation.
The Solution: Skilled Volunteering
Working with Pilotlight, Wellington Management embedded the consultancy programme into their Leadership Development programme. This innovative consultancy programme matched teams of Wellington’s 40 Future Leaders with charities exploring a strategic objective, for example, sustainable growth plan. Over eight weeks, participants developed their strategic and critical thinking skills by applying their business expertise in a new context and working collaboratively with their peers and the charity clients.
The programme's structure was intentionally designed to maximise both learning and impact. Teams of up to six Managing Directors at Wellington Management from across the US, APAC, and UK worked with different charities. The format included structured meetings, independent analysis, culminating in presentations of actionable recommendations to the charities.
The Results: Measurable Leadership Growth
The results demonstrated significant improvements for participants across key leadership competencies:
- 66% reported increased confidence in translating client visions into actionable steps
- 74% reported increased confidence in breaking down ambiguous problems and identifying the core issue within complex challenges
- 75% shared that working with those they wouldn’t normally work with was a key highlight and learning opportunity.
The programme fostered exceptional engagement, with all participants (100%) satisfied with how included they felt and 97% satisfied with their ability to freely express their views.
Key Learning Outcomes
Participants highlighted key valuable insights from their experience:
- Resource Optimisation: Working with charities operating on limited budgets helped participants develop innovative approaches to resource management
- Active listening: It was essential for participants to engage in active listening, clear communication frameworks and regular feedback loops during the process
- Perspective Broadening: Exposure to different sectors and diverse viewpoints enhanced decision-making capabilities
- Practical Skill Application: Participants successfully adapted their expertise to a new sector where impact is the bottom line, breaking down ambiguous problems into manageable components and identifying the core issue within complex challenges
- Collaborative Leadership: The programme reinforced the importance of networking, relationship-building and team problem-solving.
Real-World Application at Wellington Management
Participants reported immediate applications of their learning to their day-to-day roles at Wellington Management. As one participant noted, "The value of triaging as a group and framing ambiguous less structured tasks for completion was a key learning from my fellow volunteers."
Others highlighted improvements in their leadership approach: "Steering effective outcomes without taking control" reflecting a shift in leadership mindset, while another participant developed deeper coaching capabilities and strengthened their strategic questioning: "Learning to ask more questions, listen and get at the crux of the issue."
What particularly stood out was Wellington's unique approach to inclusive leadership, often characterised by what participants called the "Wellington pause" - creating space for reflection and ensuring all voices are heard. This cultural attribute contributed significantly to the programme's success and the high satisfaction rates regarding inclusion and participation.
A Framework for Leadership Development with Purpose
The partnership between Wellington Management and Pilotlight demonstrates how combining leadership development with social impact can create sustainable, meaningful experiential learning experiences. The programme not only enhanced participants' leadership capabilities but also provided valuable strategic insight to charities supported by Wellington Management UK Foundation.
“This programme gave our Future Leaders a valuable opportunity to step back from their roles at Wellington Management and develop a strategic, big-picture mindset. Since completing the programme, they have applied these skills to complex challenges beyond their expertise, driving not just improved performance but a fundamental shift in how they problem-solve, innovate, and inspire their teams to excel.”
Raelene Kaminski, Talent Development Director
