CGC: Leadership, influence and the confidence to own the room

A tailored development programme for the AM, SAM and AE teams at CGC, focused on strengthening communication, client confidence and leadership at every stage of progression.

The challenge

As people progressed through the agency, CGC wanted development that reflected the reality of each role and supported people to grow with confidence.

The AM and SAM group were stepping into more visible leadership moments. They already had strong client instincts and deep knowledge of the work. The opportunity was strengthening how they influenced, communicated, handled challenge and developed others.

For the AE cohort, the focus was building confidence and strong foundations early. Taking ownership, communicating clearly and contributing more confidently in client and internal situations.

The ambition was to create development that felt practical, relevant and connected to the work people do every day.

What we delivered

We designed two programmes around the situations people regularly face in agency life.

Leadership & Influence | AM and SAM cohort

Focused on helping people lead more intentionally and communicate with greater impact.

Sessions covered:

  • understanding communication patterns and personal impact
  • building practical Impact Blueprints for meetings and higher-pressure moments
  • strengthening message structure and storytelling
  • approaching challenge and difficult conversations more confidently
  • giving and receiving stronger feedback
  • managing upwards more effectively
  • developing coaching habits and building capability in others
  • communicating ideas and decisions more clearly

 

The programme concluded with each person preparing and delivering a short talk on a topic they cared about, bringing together the themes and techniques developed across the programme.

Account Management Foundations | AE cohort

Focused on confidence, ownership and stronger communication habits.

Sessions covered:

  • what strong account management looks like in practice
  • taking ownership and building proactive habits
  • delegation and receiving briefs effectively
  • prioritisation under pressure
  • client servicing and influence
  • communicating clearly in more challenging situations
  • handling difficult conversations
  • scenario work, role play and peer feedback

 

Everything was designed to feel practical, relevant and immediately usable.

What changed

By the end of the programme, the changes were visible in everyday work.

The AM and SAM group communicated with more confidence and consistency. Feedback became more useful and managers spent more time developing others rather than solving problems themselves.

The AE cohort developed stronger language around ownership and clearer expectations of what strong account management looks like in practice. People contributed earlier and backed their thinking more confidently.

Across both groups, there was greater consistency in communication, challenge and contribution.

The final talks brought that into focus. People spoke with more clarity, stronger structure and greater confidence than when the programme began.

Why it worked

The work was grounded in situations people already faced every day.

That made the development feel relevant and created repeated opportunities to practise, get feedback and apply ideas while the programme was still running.

"We loved every minute of this programme and learnt so much - we can't wait to put it into practice."

CGC London participant