Case Studies

BUILDING LEADERSHIP CAPABILITY ACROSS A GROWING MULTI-SITE ORGANISATION

Supplier: Kinetik Global Pty Ltd
Client: Triple M Holdings
Program: Lead Strong
Duration: May 2024 to September 2026
Participants: 18 frontline leaders across two cohorts in Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales

ABOUT THE ORGANISATION

Triple M Holdings is a privately owned manufacturing business specialising in the design and production of truck bodies, ute trays and alloy components.

Operating across multiple sites and distribution channels, the organisation services national and international markets and has a strong focus on continuous improvement, safety, environmental responsibility and progressive people practices. 

THE CHALLENGE 

Triple M had strong technical and operational capability at the frontline. What varied was the level of formal leadership development available to the people responsible for leading teams. As frontline leaders took on greater responsibility, they were required to balance their own operational workload with a very different set of demands: delegating effectively, managing competing priorities, addressing performance and conflict, developing others and making confident decisions without unnecessarily escalating issues. 

The organisation already valued collaboration, self-awareness and contemporary leadership practices. It wanted a more structured way to develop these capabilities consistently across geographically dispersed sites. 

For some leaders, the gap went beyond skills and into direction. The day-to-day demands of the role had crowded out time to think about what they were working toward, or why. For others, the challenge was more practical: finding room for structured development at all, inside schedules already stretched thin by operational pressure. Both patterns would surface again later, in how individual leaders described their own experience of the program. 

An initial pilot of Lead Strong commenced with 10 leaders. Following the results and participant feedback, the organisation expanded the program to a second cohort, taking participation to 18 leaders across Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales branches. 

The second cohort also coincided with a significant period of organisational growth, including the establishment of a new facility in Thailand. Leaders were therefore developing their capability while simultaneously managing additional operational pressure and organisational change. 

BUILDING CAPABILITY THAT COULD BE USED AT WORK 

Lead Strong provided a structured 12 month development pathway combining digital learning, psychometric assessment, facilitated sessions, practical workplace application and ongoing individual support. 

Rather than treating leadership as a collection of abstract concepts, the program gave participants tools, strategies and frameworks they could apply to the situations they were already facing.

Across the program, leaders worked on areas including: 

• self-awareness and emotional intelligence
• delegation and accountability
• communication and constructive feedback
• difficult conversations and conflict
• decision making and problem solving
• managing time and competing priorities
• coaching and developing others
• resilience and adaptability
• overall leadership effectiveness

DISC and Emotional Intelligence assessments at the beginning of the program gave participants greater insight into their own behaviour and communication preferences, providing a foundation for the development that followed. For most, this made Lead Strong feel less like standardised training and more like a program built around them individually. As one participant put it, reflecting on what would have helped going in: "a better understanding of the program before it began, that it was going to be a very personal training program and that you will get out what you put into it, would have really helped me at the start. But once I stopped over thinking the exercises, I really enjoyed doing the modules." 

Rather than working through leadership concepts in isolation, participants were encouraged to consider them in the context of situations they were already facing. As the program progressed, participants had the opportunity to apply different tools and approaches in their roles, reflect on the outcome and return to the learning as new challenges emerged, supported directly by Sam, their Kinetik Global coach, throughout. 

MEASURABLE CAPABILITY CHANGE 

Across both cohorts, all 18 participants increased their overall leadership capability score. Participants rated their capability across nine leadership areas before and after the program using a 1–10 scale. 

The combined average increased from 6.85 to 8.12, an improvement of 1.28 points or 18.8%. 

Results were consistent across both cohorts: 

Wave 1: 6.60 → 7.82 (+1.22 points / +18.5%)

Wave 2: 7.33 → 8.72 (+1.39 points / +18.9%)

Every participant also reported achieving what they had hoped to gain from Lead Strong. 

Strongest capability improvements show:

Leadership capability  & average improvement

Managing personal and team priorities: +29%

Delegating tasks and responsibilities: +26%

Overall leadership effectiveness: +21%

Self-awareness: +18%

Managing difficult conversations: +17%

Providing constructive feedback: +15%

The strongest individual participant result moved from an average capability score of 5.89 to 9.89 - an increase of 4 points or 67.9%.

At an individual capability level, some participants recorded substantial shifts, including: 

Priorities: 3 → 10 (+7 points / +233.3%)

Delegation: 4 → 10 (+6 points / +150%)

Leadership effectiveness: 4 → 9 (+5 points / +125%)

Self-awareness:  5 → 10 (+5 points / +100%)

Difficult conversations:  6 → 10 (+4 points / +66.7%) 

The consistency of the results was significant. Improvement was not confined to one cohort, one location or one leadership capability. 

WHAT CHANGED IN THE WORKPLACE 

The questionnaire results were supported by changes senior leaders could observe in participants' day-to-day behaviour. Leaders became more deliberate about delegation, more willing to address issues directly and more reflective in the way they approached decisions and team interactions. 

Senior leaders observed: 

• greater confidence and ownership at the frontline
• stronger and more deliberate delegation
• improved communication and connection with team members
• greater willingness to address difficult issues
• more considered decision making
• longstanding habits being challenged
• new approaches to managing people and work being adopted
• participants progressing into promotions or expanded responsibilities 

One senior manager described a particularly practical indicator of increased capability: being able to take leave with confidence because he knew the team could operate effectively in his absence. 

That shift matters. Building frontline leadership capability is not simply about helping an individual feel more confident. It is about increasing the organisation's ability to distribute responsibility, develop people and solve more issues at the level where they occur. 

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT DURING ORGANISATIONAL GROWTH 

The second Lead Strong cohort took place during a period of continued organisational growth, including the expansion of manufacturing operations nationally and servicing a growing customer base domestically and abroad. While the impact of this expansion varied across roles, it provided important context for the organisation's broader focus on strengthening leadership capability as the business continued to grow. 

Wave 2 also introduced two facilitated onsite sessions with Sam, adding a hands-on dimension that Wave 1 did not have. Participants who took part in these sessions spoke positively about the format: "It was a good experience and I liked the 2 sessions hands on with Sam. Unfortunately, doing it side by side with the work was a bit harder to manage than I thought but the material/modules are excellent." 

A key factor in supporting participation, across both cohorts, was the organisation's decision to allocate work time for participants to complete Lead Strong. This positioned leadership development as part of the role, rather than an additional expectation to be managed outside working hours. 

Even with that support, operational demands could still make participation challenging at times. One participant admitted to compressing the course into a short window under work pressure, noting: "I crammed the course in a pretty short space of time, so I will continue to go back and review modules to ensure things sink in." Kinetik Global responded to pressures like this with flexible facilitation and additional support where needed, helping participants remain engaged and continue progressing through the program rather than falling behind and disengaging. 

This combination of organisational commitment, individual coaching support and flexible delivery helped make the development practical and achievable within the realities of a busy, multi-site business. 

FROM PROGRAM CONTENT TO AN ONGOING LEADERSHIP RESOURCE 

The value of Lead Strong has continued beyond formal program completion. Graduates retain access to the platform and use it as a practical leadership resource when new situations arise. 

When a participant encounters a workplace challenge, senior leaders can direct them back to the relevant Lead Strong framework or module and encourage them to consider how they might approach the issue themselves. This supports a shift away from immediately escalating problems and towards greater independent thinking and ownership. 

It also means the organisation is building a common leadership language across different sites. Leaders may face different operational circumstances, but they have access to the same frameworks for approaching delegation, communication, decision making and people leadership. 

As participants move into new or expanded roles, they can revisit the material with a different level of experience and apply it to new challenges. 

PARTICIPANT PERSPECTIVE 

The patterns identified at the outset, leaders stretched thin and some losing sight of direction under day-to-day pressure, showed up clearly in how participants described their own experience of the program. 

For one participant, Lead Strong changed not only how they approached leadership, but how they thought about their relationship with their team: 

"It reinforced that leadership is not one size fits all. I've learnt the importance of understanding my team, their individual goals and how to work with them rather than expecting the same from everyone." 

The program also prompted a shift towards spending more time listening and connecting with team members: 

"Spending time connecting with the team and listening properly has made a real difference. For me, it's now about connection over perfection." 

For another, the impact went beyond leadership technique into something more personal. Reflecting on a period of losing focus and purpose, one participant credited the program with resetting that direction: " Lead Strong has woken me up, put me back on the path of working with others to help them achieve their focus." Of Sam's coaching specifically, they added: "Samantha is a good mentor, positive, takes you out of your comfort zone, embraces a person for who they are, lets you have a go." 

They also saw the program as something they would continue using beyond completion: 

"The program has given me practical tools I will continue to use going forward, and I will definitely revisit the modules as I keep developing."

THE RESULT 

What began as a 10-person pilot has developed into a broader leadership capability initiative across multiple sites. Across the first 18 participants, every leader recorded overall capability growth and every participant achieved what they hoped to gain from the program. 

More importantly, the development has translated into observable changes in the workplace: stronger delegation, greater ownership, more confident communication, improved approaches to difficult situations and leaders taking on broader responsibilities. 

Lead Strong has also given Triple M something that extends beyond the individual cohorts: a structured set of leadership tools and approaches that leaders can continue to draw on as their responsibilities and the organisation itself continue to grow. 

Rather than relying solely on individual experience or instinct, frontline leaders now have a more consistent framework for deciding how they lead, how they develop others and how they respond when challenges arise.

BUILDING CROSS FUNCTIONAL LEADERSHIP THROUGH REAL PROJECTS, NOT JUST THEORY

Supplier: Kinetik Global Pty Ltd
Client: Obela Fresh Dips and Spreads Pty Ltd
Duration: 12 months (October 2023 to October 2024)

THE CHALLENGE

Obela had specific, well-defined training requirements. The organisation wanted its emerging leaders equipped not just with general leadership theory, but with skills that mapped directly onto its own methodologies, 2024 strategy and company values. A generic program wouldn't do the job; what was needed was development built around the business itself, with enough flexibility to hold up as priorities shifted across the year.

A PROGRAM BUILT AROUND OBELA, NOT AROUND A TEMPLATE

Kinetik Global designed a highly customised Emerging Leaders Program in response, consulting with internal stakeholders throughout to make sure participants received aligned messages and that the methodologies being taught were genuinely fit for purpose.

That collaboration shaped three things in particular. Every module was curated against Obela's actual training needs, blending general leadership principles with Obela-specific practice. Inside the Project Management module specifically, Kinetik Global provided additional targeted coaching, recognising that practical application, not just conceptual understanding, was where participants would either succeed or stall. That coaching translated directly into improved project delivery outcomes, with a measurable impact on timelines and operational efficiency. And scheduling and resources flexed as program dynamics evolved, so participation stayed seamless even as the year's demands shifted.

Across the twelve months, participants worked through seven modules: Financial Acumen, Project Management (customised in partnership with Obela), Change Management, Building Effective Teams and Providing Feedback, Resilience and Positive Mindset, Building Collaborative Relationships and Courageous Conversations.

The curriculum was deliberately experiential. Rather than treating projects as an add-on to the learning, Kinetik Global wrapped the program around key live projects, giving participants the chance to apply new skills in real time, not in a classroom exercise disconnected from their actual work. That approach reinforced the learning itself and built teamwork across functions that hadn't previously worked closely together. As one participant put it, that cross-functional exposure was one of the most valuable parts of the program: "What I liked about Emerging Leaders was that we all came together and we learned from other parts of the business. For example, I learned a lot from Supply Chain, and when I was interviewing, there was so much more I could understand - what is it that we need to hire, what are the particular needs that we need to fill in that team? And we have hired some really great people there."
 
WHAT THE PROGRAM ACTUALLY DELIVERED

The clearest measure of the program's value came through the business outcomes participants achieved on their live projects.

One team took on improving In-Bound Service Level to 95%+ while lifting Out-Bound Service Level and supplier rankings. Their cross-functional project succeeded in lifting DIFOT (Delivered In-Full, On-Time) scores by 3%, translating into stronger customer satisfaction and better supplier ratings.

A second team set a 10% reduction target on pallet storage at 3PL facilities, aimed at cutting costs. They exceeded expectations, reaching 130% of the original goal and significantly reducing pallet storage across 3PL facilities. Beyond the operational win, their efforts drove a cash flow improvement exceeding 10 times the program's investment - a clear demonstration of what strategic decision-making and operational optimisation can deliver when the people behind it have the right tools.

A third team was tasked with a new piece of production equipment to improve safety and productivity. In working through it, they identified additional opportunities and expanded the project's scope to explore new processes and equipment that could support product diversification. At the time of writing, feasibility studies were underway.

MORE THAN A CURRICULUM — A DESIGNED EXPERIENCE

For participants, the value of the program wasn't just the content itself but how deliberately it had been built around them. One participant pointed directly to the role Kinetik Global played in shaping it: "Sam, you very skilfully put all of that together, the high points of this project and definitely project management and a lot of the other things. Resilience training, I think, has personally helped me. So, I would say those are really life-changing, career-changing moments for me."

Another participant, working in sales and interacting with most of the business day to day, saw the same modules land in a different way. Reflecting on the resilience training and the interpersonal skills built through the program, they said: "I think the resilience and the way that you can speak to other people and influence other people has been really valuable." Having spent 20 months moving across almost every part of the business, they found particular value in the sessions themselves, not just the content, but the chance to compare notes with colleagues facing similar pressures: "I did enjoy meeting a lot of people face to face the few times I've been down to Adelaide, but these sessions have been great for me to really listen and understand what other people are going through. And it does excite me when I realise they're going through the same problems, the same issues and the same dramas, to know that we're all in this together."

Asked directly whether the program had changed their outcomes, they were clear: "Yeah, definitely the way that I interact and talk to other people within this business. It's interesting to hear the different issues. Overall, it was good. I've enjoyed it."

WHAT LEADERSHIP SAID

The response from Obela's leadership reflected the same shift participants described in their own words.

Tina Beaton, HR Director, credited the team's own commitment as much as the program itself: "Congratulations to the team for their commitment and motivation throughout this great journey. Thanks also to you, Samantha D'Angelo, for your terrific guidance and facilitation to teach, support, and mentor the team through this journey of learning and growth along with many great outcomes."

Nicolas Carr, General Manager ANZ, saw the same shift play out day to day: "Well done team on your commitment to growth and learning. It's amazing to watch you engage with the topics and each other to move forward as individuals and as cross-functional teams. Thank you, Samantha, for your stewardship of the team on this journey."

Justin Kerr, Operations Manager, was still mid-program when he shared his reflections and it showed in the tense of what he said: "Currently undertaking a course though Kinetik Global (Emerging leaders' program) So far this has been a great course lectured by Samantha. It has been very knowledgeable and easy flowing. I definitely have learnt some new leadership skills and have already put them to the test. Thanks, Sam."

Matthew Novohatny, Supervisor, was more succinct: "One of the best courses I have done. Thanks Sam."

THE RESULT

The Obela Emerging Leaders Program shows what happens when development is built around a business's actual methodologies rather than delivered off the shelf. Through tailored modules, hands-on project work and close partnership with Obela's internal stakeholders throughout, Kinetik Global helped equip Obela's emerging leaders with the skills, resilience and confidence to deliver measurable results, for themselves individually, for how they work with each other, and for the business's operational and financial performance across the year.