CASE STUDY
DXC Technology
The Client
INDUSTRY
IT
LOCATION
Sydney
Challenge
Martin Wildsmith, responsible for leading DXC Technology’s Microsoft Business, was facing the challenge of sustaining high growth while managing a rapidly expanding team. Over a period of six months, his organisation grew by 170 people, making it difficult to maintain leadership alignment and team collaboration. Martin knew his leadership approach needed to evolve to successfully scale the business and retain key talent.
“Leadership is about managing people and scaling a business, and the challenge I faced was how to sustain high growth with bigger numbers and more people. I knew I had to change the way I was managing the business.”
Approach
Martin was initially sceptical of neuroscience’s role in leadership development, asking, “So does this Neuroscience stuff really work?” But after discussing his needs, he signed up for the Neuroscience of Leadership Coaching Program in October 2018. The program began with an independent 360-degree feedback assessment, followed by personalised coaching to bridge the gap between strategy and execution.
Together, we focused on understanding how brain-based insights could improve his leadership style, manage scaling demands, and enhance team collaboration.
Solution
The Neuroscience of Leadership Coaching Program provided Martin with actionable strategies to focus his leadership on high-impact areas. Through face-to-face coaching, Martin learned how to prioritize his time and resources effectively, aligning his leadership team around core business goals. Neuroscience-backed tools allowed him to improve brain functioning, enabling faster, more measurable leadership development.
The program also incorporated The Leadership Circle assessments to track progress. This data-driven approach helped Martin understand the shifts he needed to make, ensuring that his leadership changes were effective and sustainable.
Experience
Within nine months, Martin saw a measurable improvement in 20 key leadership traits, with his team providing direct positive feedback on his evolved approach. The Neuroscience of Leadership Coaching Program helped him retain two key leaders who were on the verge of leaving due to feeling unsupported.
The result? Greater alignment and collaboration within his leadership team, improved decision-making, and more time for Martin to focus on strategic growth.
“The face-to-face coaching sessions led to a significant improvement in my relationships and alignment of my leadership team. They were freed to collaborate better and leverage their strengths and capabilities. Without this program, two key leaders would have likely left the business.”
What our client had to say:
Working with Vannessa has delivered outstanding improvements across our overall business, financial results, and people engagement. If you want to improve your performance as a leader and change your behaviour, you need a coach. I recommend Vannessa as your coach!
Her programmatic approach improved my capacity as a Senior Leader to focus on the strategic growth of the business and empowered my leadership team to step up.
The program provided me with new tools to enhance problem-solving and decision-making while building a stronger team culture. It unlocked opportunities for scaling and intensifying the leadership team.
Despite what we’ve been told in the past, we can change our behaviour and leadership style. I’m happy to share my results, measured by an independent provider, with anyone committed to this journey. The Neuroscience behind Vannessa’s leadership coaching program was a smart investment and has proven highly effective.
For any professional looking to elevate their leadership skills, emotional intelligence, and business outcomes, I highly recommend Vannessa’s Neuroscience insights and tools for achieving measurable results.
Martin Wildsmith
DXC Technology — Leader of Microsoft Business
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