Unconventional Leadership Development

Chilled Pubs

Leadership DevelopmentFacilitationProgramme DesignAI CoachingInstructional Design

The Brief

Develop our leaders. But make it nothing like anything they have done before.

Chilled Pubs had a team of experienced General Managers with strong operational skills, but recognised an opportunity to develop their soft skills, leadership capabilities, and team management approach. The ask was clear: design and deliver a leadership programme that would genuinely land with a senior audience, not another forgettable corporate training day.

The rulebook went out of the window. We listened to the audience, studied the data, and built something that felt completely different from anything they had experienced before.

The Results

Part of something bigger. And the numbers reflect it.

The leadership programme was one part of a wider people strategy at Chilled Pubs. Alongside recruitment, learning systems, and cultural initiatives, the combined effort delivered measurable change across the business.

+5%

Engagement Score

Contributed to a people-first culture shift

78%

Staff Turnover

Down from 140%, as part of a wider talent strategy

Discovery Days

In-person, facilitated, completely unconventional

Programme Scope

16 Weeks

Blended delivery with post-session reviews and continuous AI-supported learning

Ongoing Support

6,500+

Resources available via AI coach and micro-learning library for 12 months

The Approach

Throw the rulebook out. Listen to the audience.

Conventional leadership training fails because it treats experienced professionals like students. We started by collecting real data from every participant through surveys, time audits, personality profiling, psychometrics, and leadership style assessments. That data shaped every session.

The programme was built around four Discovery Days, each designed to be interactive, memorable, and completely unlike anything the GMs had experienced in a corporate setting. Beautiful venues, hands-on activities, and a philosophy rooted in the idea that the answers are already in the room.

Sessions were held in country house venues, away from the day-to-day. The setting was intentional: create an environment where people could think differently, not just learn differently.

Discovery Day 01

A Future Proof Plan

Personal vision and values. Each GM articulated what they stand for, crafted a personal vision statement, and built a roadmap aligned with the business objectives. The foundation for everything that followed.

Participants received a branded "Future Proof Plan" box containing personalised materials, QR-linked resources, and their own caricature worksheet. Sessions moved outdoors for sketch exercises exploring decision-making and personal values.

Discovery Day 02

The Priority Playbook

Time, energy, and focus. Using the analogy of 24 chips in a day, GMs placed their chips on a custom roulette board to visualise where their time was really going. Then they redesigned it.

We had the boards printed and framed for each table. Branded mugs with "Don't prioritise your schedule, instead schedule your priorities" reinforced the message. A spinner wheel added a gamified element to the session.

The result was a tangible, visual conversation about priorities that stuck with the GMs long after the session ended.

Empowerment Engine

Turning the lens onto their teams. GMs assessed the dynamics of their Heads of Department, identified individual needs, and built plans to maximise potential through their own leadership approach.

Motivation Mentor

Equipping GMs to coach, not just manage. A train-the-trainer format that respected their experience while sharpening their ability to give feedback, recognise performance, and inspire their teams.

What Made It Different

No death by PowerPoint. No corporate waffle.

Every element was designed to engage, challenge, and stick. From personalised caricatures that followed each participant through the programme, to juggling competitions and custom roulette boards, this was leadership development that people actually wanted to turn up to.

Personal Caricatures

Each participant received a caricature of themselves that followed them through the entire programme. A personal touch that made the experience memorable and distinctly theirs.

Interactive Challenges

Timed tennis ball throwing, juggling competitions, giant Jenga, and team activities that broke down barriers and brought energy to every session. Learning through doing, not sitting.

Pre-session Data Collection

Time audits, personality profiling, psychometrics, and leadership style assessments. Every session was informed by real data about the people in the room.

AI Executive Coach & Resource Library

An AI coaching tool programmed to ask the right questions and recommend resources, paired with a library of over 6,500 micro-books and podcasts for on-the-move learning between sessions.

"The power behind the videos was incredible. It stretched our team's thinking and gave managers an easy, effective coaching framework that simply wasn't happening before."

Chris Wilkinson

Head of Learning and Development, Chilled Pubs

Need leadership development that actually lands?

Whether it is a bespoke programme for your senior team or a one-off facilitated session, we design development experiences that people remember and act on.

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