Fast-Growing Firm Fuels Up for Exponential Growth

Opportunity

Markon Solutions, a consulting firm that supports both federal government and private sector clients, experienced rapid growth in the years following its founding. As the firm planned to double its revenue within five years, they knew they had to expand their leadership footprint beyond its three founders and a handful of strong managers.

Solution

Markon invited us to design and lead a curriculum for its newly launched Embark Leadership Development Program — a yearlong learning experience for 10 to 12 rising leaders from across the firm. Every other month, we worked with the LDP cohort on selected leadership topics and provided in-the-moment coaching to apply the concepts in their daily work. This program leveraged The PRIMES as well as the latest business research to bolster each cohort of high performers.

In addition to training, The Clearing offered in-the-moment group coaching on mindsets and behaviors to serve as a springboard for success. We also developed and encouraged participation in follow-up monthly practices and reflection programs for each cohort, designed to continually hone leadership skills.

Impact

Markon credits The Clearing’s LDP as a key component of its continued success and sustained growth, citing a 5 to 10 percent higher retention rate among cohort members compared with the firm’s average. These leaders now play increasingly high-stakes leadership roles with additional revenue responsibilities.

Markon continues to utilize a number of other tools developed during our engagement:

• A common Markon language and commitment to best practices in leading and growing as individual leaders, teams, and as an organization
• Shared accountability for individual and group growth across the Markon organization, as well as improved customer delivery and relationships
• A toolkit of identified Markon leader dynamics, actions, mindsets, and behaviors. For example, discussions of individual PRIMES are regularly used to kick-off leadership meetings and initiate dialogue around challenging topics.