Strengthening frontline leadership and performance at global scale

Supporting frontline supervisors and first-time managers across global manufacturing and corporate sites, this program built the practical leadership capability needed to improve performance, engagement and collaboration.

• 19% average performance improvement, equivalent to almost one additional productive day per week
• 82% of participants reported improved business outcomes, 68% reported increased personal engagement, and 71%reported higher engagement within their teams
• Frontline leaders delivered measurable improvements in operational efficiency, collaboration, safety, stakeholder relationships, and employee engagement, with impact extending from individual teams through to business units and corporate outcomes.

As a global ingredients business operating across manufacturing and corporate environments, Tate & Lyle relied on frontline supervisors and first-time managers to influence engagement, safety, and operational performance every day. Yet these leaders had historically received limited formal leadership development, with investment focused primarily on senior leaders.

To build sustainable performance across a global business, Tate & Lyle recognised leadership capability needed to be embedded much deeper in the organisation, equipping frontline leaders with the skills, confidence, and accountability to lead high-performing teams regardless of location.

LIW partnered with Tate & Lyle to design and deliver Management Essentials which was a six-month blended leadership journey built specifically for first-time leaders.

The program combined immersive workshops, virtual learning, individual coaching, and workplace application, underpinned by five design principles:

• Globally consistent content with local delivery
• Practical, blended learning that accelerated application on the job
• Measurable individual development goals supported by active line manager involvement
• Leadership capability targeted at the frontline where business performance is created
• Visible reporting of business outcomes to participants, managers, and executive sponsors.

Managers were embedded throughout the experience, helping participants interpret engagement data, set development goals, review progress, and reinforce learning back in the workplace. This ensured leadership development translated into measurable business outcomes rather than remaining a classroom experience.

Management Essentials became the foundation of frontline leadership development across Tate &Lyle's global operations, creating a common leadership language aligned to the organisation's leadership competencies while remaining flexible enough to address local business challenges. The program was rolled out across the United States, United Kingdom, Poland, the Netherlands, China, Singapore, Turkey, Germany, Slovakia, South Africa, and Brazil, reaching more than 500 frontline leaders globally.

The impact extended well beyond individual capability. Manufacturing sites reported stronger collaboration, improved production efficiency, higher safety standards, and greater employee ownership of business outcomes. In one US facility, leaders embedded a shared safety ownership approach that contributed to record safety performance, while teams in Brazil and the Netherlands strengthened accountability, problem solving, and operational flexibility. By investing in the leaders closest to the work, Tate & Lyle created a more engaged, resilient and consistently high-performing organisation.