How One Leader Transformed Her Team’s Success

Martha once led a department where trust was very low, a department in which I worked. The environment was tense, and had been for a couple a few years. But everything changed—both for Martha and her team—when the organization shifted to a high-trust culture. Embracing this new cultural shift, Martha made it her mission to empower her staff and remove obstacles standing in their way.

Martha understood that the typical grind of annual performance reviews felt overwhelming for employees. The reviews centered around three key areas: meeting work requirements, personal professional development, and the organization's broad expectations—covering skills like technical development, accepting feedback, managing resources, building trust among colleagues, and supporting diversity.

But with employees focused on daily responsibilities, finding time to address these broader organizational goals seemed like a burden. Martha knew her team needed more than the standard, uninspiring on-demand trainings the organization offered. So, she did something different. She got creative.

A New Way to Empower Staff

VK developed a custom course catalog just for her team. She scoured the web for no-cost courses, lectures, and presentations that aligned with the organization's requirements. But she didn’t stop there. She made it even easier for her team by mapping each resource to specific performance review categories—showing exactly which organizational goals they’d meet by completing each course.

This thoughtful approach saved her team time and gave them more engaging ways to grow professionally. No more generic, uninspiring training sessions—Martha provided her staff with options that suited their needs and learning styles.

A Win-Win Outcome

The result? Martha’s team felt supported and motivated. They appreciated the effort she put into creating a resource that not only helped them meet expectations but also showed she cared about their time and success. The catalog became a hit, and her staff found it easier to excel in their performance reviews.

What’s even more inspiring is that the impact didn’t stop there. I was so impressed with Martha’s idea she had provided to us when I was her director, at my next job I created a similar catalog for my own team. Martha’s leadership didn’t just create results—it sparked a ripple effect of positive change.

The Takeaway

Martha’s story shows that with the right mindset and a little creativity, leaders can make a big difference in their teams' success. By going beyond the basics and showing genuine care for her team, a big sign of trust, Martha transformed a stressful process into an empowering experience.