At Concise, we know that people are our greatest asset. Our top-tier developers create future-proof solutions, but the key to success also lies in well-managed and motivated teams. That’s why we recently organized a 6-month leadership training course led by our own Dmitri Friesen (LinkedIn), an experienced coach and trainer.
In this article, we’ll talk more about what good leadership is, why well-managed people achieve up to 5x better results, and how our customers benefit from it.
Why did we do it?
At the beginning of the year, we wanted to get closer to our customers and find out what they expect from us, what they value, what our pros and cons are.
Also, we’ve always presumed that our customers do not expect only technical skills from us, but for us to help solve their business problems and be strong communicators and partners. We wanted to confirm that hypothesis and also show our developers that customers truly value the so-called “softer” values.
The results clearly showed that our customers expect a strategic partner – someone who understands their business through and through, challenges them, and thinks along with them to achieve the best possible results.
According to Dmitri, the analysis showed that business knowledge, leadership skills, and soft skills are key: “The key word for such team is “empowered”. We understood that for this, our leaders must be able to create an environment where every person feels that they’re valued, listened to and that their potential is used to the fullest.”
What did we do and learn?
In order for our teams to be able to offer the best to our clients, we launched a massive six-month leadership training course. 30% of Concise’s employees participated in the course, including all leadership positions from tech lead and the CEO, to product managers and team leads.
The program covered the following:
- Active listening – understanding, not just hearing.
- Reflective 1:1 conversations – deep, meaningful, and growth-oriented.
- Developing feedback – how to give and receive feedback that leads to progress.
- Coaching skills of the leaders – helping others grow and achieve more.
The training took place in a practical workshop format, with 20% theory and 80% practical role-playing. Two main study methods were used – group coaching and role-playing. The theory was delivered through participants’ reflections and group discussions. It was not yet another boring school class but a fun and developing experience for everyone.
Leaders at different levels – team leads, tech leads, and board members – solved real-life work situations and learned from each other’s experiences. “It was powerful to see how people stepped out of their work roles and started thinking as equal partners,” describes Dmitri.
The training also served as an unexpected team-building exercise. “They learned from each other and shared experiences. The team now understands each other’s challenges better and is even stronger because of it,” shared Dmitri.
The feedback from the participants was overwhelmingly positive – they appreciated the direct practicality and the opportunity to share their challenges with both CEOs and team leaders.
The result: a team is only as strong as strongly you believe in them
“Leadership is not about using the power of authority but achieving meaningful results in a sustainable way. It requires the ability to unite and mobilize people and help them achieve more than they thought possible,” says Dmitri. Good leadership can unlock people’s potential: “Our team is mostly made up of senior developers. They don’t want to just follow orders – nor they should. But if you invest in people and create an environment where they can grow, they can be up to five times more effective. They don’t just do work – they create and think together with the client.”
For clients, this means they get more value from working with us – motivated and inspired people play wholeheartedly on the client’s “team”. They do their best to create the best possible solution for the client.
The bottom line
No matter if you’re a junior developer straight from the uni or an experienced professional – everyone wants to learn and grow in their position, to be attended to and given feedback. And I think that’s the way it should be. You need to support your people for them to support your clients – that’s how we get the best results for everyone,” notes Dmitri.
