Leadership at Scale, Across Cultures

There's a particular kind of trust involved when a global organisation asks someone outside their walls to represent their brand to their own people.

When a former colleague at one of the world's leading technology companies reached out to Tony White about their new Leadership Lab programme; designed for first-level managers, new leaders, and for experienced managers joining the organisation; it wasn't a cold pitch or a procurement process. It was a phone call from someone who knew his work and knew he'd be a good fit for it.

That's how most of Tony's best work starts.

The work

The Leadership Lab is a structured development programme for managers taking their first steps into people leadership. Tony was trained as a certified facilitator to deliver it; and since then has taken it to Singapore, Bucharest, Barcelona, Bangalore & Virtually, as well as running numerous virtual cohorts for participants across the globe. The contract began in September 2025 and is actively ongoing.

To date, over 200 managers have been through the programme with him across 16 cohorts.

Consistency across cultures

Delivering the same programme effectively across four continents and multiple cultural contexts is where facilitation either holds up or falls apart. Across the body of work, participant feedback has consistently rated the facilitation experience above four out of five.

One virtual cohort scored lower; an anomaly the client investigated directly. A follow-up feedback session with participants told a different story: great pacing, strong engagement, breakout rooms that kept people connected and focused, and participants using the resources immediately after the session ended. The lower scores reflected a small number of dissatisfied respondents in a low-response survey; something the client acknowledged openly.

AI in the room

As part of the programme, Tony also introduces participants to the company's AI coaching tool for managers, helping them understand how emerging technology can extend their development beyond the classroom.