Wyndham Thinks Beyond Today, Develops a Leadership Pipeline for the Future

Creating Leaders for the Future

Wyndham Vacation Ownership realized a shortfall in qualified director-level leaders capable of moving into VP-level positions. The organization knew that it needed to remedy this and wanted a way to develop bottom-line, performance-driven leaders through a hands-on, customized program. Within that approach, Wyndham knew that it needed that next generation of leaders to reinforce a culture of accountability throughout the organization.

Linkage developed the Wyndham Leadership Academy, a customized leadership development training program to equip high-potential leaders with the skill set necessary to develop a talent pipeline for the future. The program included three sessions conducted over a 12-month period.

The curriculum exposed participants to a multiplicity of learning situations, including action learning, self- and 360° assessments, group and individual exercises, simulations, and live skill practices.

Each session focused on critical areas of leadership development, including assessments, communication, self-development, decision making, team building, trust, and motivating others. The sessions also featured real-time business case challenges, which required each team to present its research results and solutions to a panel of senior leaders. The panel then scored the teams based on their current state analysis, future state recommendations, and executive presentation, inclusive of a question-and-answer session.

The leadership development training academy also included a half-day program offered in partnership with a local healthcare clinic that focused on health education and assessments. Individuals participated in physical assessments and learned about work/life balance, physical fitness, and healthy eating habits.

Addressing Both Immediate and Future Needs

The senior leadership team now has an integrated, systemic approach to leadership development that aligns with the company’s business strategy. It has also developed a strong talent pipeline of future leaders and a mutual understanding at all levels about the critical leadership skills necessary for individual and organizational success, as well as improved communication across the organization.

Wyndham took a face-it-head-on approach, partnering with Linkage to proactively solve its challenge. Customized leadership development training content addressed Wyndham’s specific goals, requirements, and actual talent, while the approach tackled not only the immediate need, but also planned for the future.