Leadership Program for First-time Leaders

Context

E.ON Digital Technology, the IT and digital unit of E.ON, wanted to place the development of its first-time leaders on a new, consistent foundation – a standard program that accompanies colleagues precisely at the critical transition shortly before or after taking on their first leadership role.

Task

The program is designed as a modular learning journey over roughly four to five months and eight training days, consistently within a fixed peer group. In terms of content, it leads from self-leadership to leading others: developing a clear, authentic leadership intention, preparing for the role change, leading and delegating situationally, leading through change, and building a feedback culture and high-performing teams.

Approach

Reflection- and transfer-oriented, with the fixed peer group as the central success factor: strengths-based self-reflection, proven leadership models, and experiential exercises combine with consistent transfer into practice. The modules deliberately take place away from everyday office routine.

Formats

Intake dialogue with one’s own manager at the beginning, closing dialogue at the end; modules on self-leadership (incl. the first 100 days), situational leadership and delegation, leading through change, feedback culture, and team building; experiential team exercises and collegial peer coaching; models such as “Connected Leader” and situational leadership.

Role

PUETTGEN Consulting designs and delivers the leadership modules with two experienced coaches per “cohort,” is responsible for the assessment and the peer coaching, and accompanies the participants throughout the entire learning journey.

Transfer

A clear 100-day plan, collegial peer coaching, and the close connection to one’s own manager through intake and closing dialogues secure the transfer into practice.