"Our partnership with Cisco has been one of the most rewarding engagements I have experienced in my time with LIW. Together we created a team with a central focus on achieving Cisco’s goals through well designed leadership interventions that extended well beyond the workshop and deeply into where leadership is applied in the business."
The impact
Across more than 4,000 leaders in 15+ countries and multiple leadership programs, LIW's partnership with Cisco delivered organisational and commercial outcomes that extends well beyond participant satisfaction.
- 18% average performance improvement among experienced managers, with 26% promoted within two years versus 19% in a control group.
- 15.3% performance improvement among senior technical leaders, with91% rating it a worthwhile investment.
- Developing the approach of Cisco Partner Leaders to step change how they Lead Partnerships to deliver mutual business growth. Examples of impact include 29% revenue growth with a key Partner in the UK leading to them investing in a dedicated Cisco business development role. In addition, taking the new approach, a Channel Manager in Germany achieved growth in booking 2-3 times ahead of the market, developing the pipeline by up to 400%.
The context
Cisco was transforming from a hardware-focused organisation into a software, solutions, and subscription services business. That shift placed new and different demands on leaders at every level: first-time managers stepping up without preparation, experienced managers needing to become more adaptive, senior engineers needing to think strategically, and partner-facing leaders needing to build collaborative relationships across Cisco’s ecosystem. No single program could address all of this. Cisco needed a coherent leadership strategy delivered consistently at global scale.
Our approach
LIW designed and delivered a suite of programs, each targeting a critical transition point:
First-Time Managers: New Leader Program
A two-day program helping individual contributors' step into management with clarity and confidence. Delivered across 62 cohorts worldwide.
Experienced Managers: Cisco Advanced Manager Series (CAMS)
Adaptive leadership for managers with 3+ years’ experience. Delivered to 3,000+ managers across 15+countries, with up to 47 cohorts running per year, for more than 5 years.
Senior Technical Leaders: Global Technical Leader Program (GTLP) & Leadership Breakthrough
Two complementary programs for senior engineers. One combined workshop, virtual sessions, and action learning projects presented to VP-level executives. The other used a two-phase immersive design, a high-pressure “Hot House” simulation followed by a reflective “Cool Box” to drive lasting behaviour change.
Partner-Facing Leaders: Partner Consulting Academy & OLA Framework
LIW’s Organisational Leadership Architecture (OLA) framework helped Partner Account Managers shift vendor relationships from transactional to strategic, aligning organisations around shared purpose, joint plans, and clear success measures.
"Whilst Cisco is not the largest vendor for Logicalis in terms of revenue, the relationship is the strongest." — Commercial & Services Director, Logicalis
The lasting result
What makes this partnership distinctive is its longevity and coherence. Over more than a decade, LIW has evolved alongside Cisco’s strategy, not delivering isolated programs but building an integrated leadership capability that spans business units, leadership levels, and geographies. Leaders at Cisco report that LIW’s approach sets Cisco apart from larger competitors, winning not on price, but on how we work together.