From Skilled Managers to Strategic Leaders

In a fast-moving industry, professionals who develop their leadership and decision-making skills are making a real difference in their workplaces.

For Maurice, an Engineering Manager at Ocado, and Melanie, the company’s Global Share Plans Manager, undertaking the Corndel Leading with Impact programme was more than just an academic exercise - it was an opportunity to refine their skills, boost their confidence, and make a lasting impact on their teams and the business as a whole.

For Maurice Ballard, an Engineering Manager at Ocado, leadership had always been a part of his role. But it wasn’t until he embarked on the Corndel Leading with Impact programme that he truly began to see the bigger picture.

“I’ve been managing for years, but this programme made me realise management isn’t just something you ‘do’ - it’s a profession,” Maurice reflects. “It’s possible to be a manager without any formal training, but I wanted to go beyond intuition. I wanted to understand the ‘why’ behind the decisions we make as leaders.”

Similarly, Melanie Keegan, Ocado’s Global Share Plans Manager, saw the programme as an opportunity she couldn’t pass up. “I don’t turn down opportunities like this. If I had the chance to do something like that, backed by the company, alongside my day job, there was really no question - I was going to apply.”

One of the most significant revelations for Maurice was recognising how leadership decisions connect to business objectives. “Every module kept circling back to a central question: what’s the company trying to achieve? As managers, we can get lost in the details, but real impact comes from aligning our efforts with corporate goals.”

Melanie found that the structured learning around project management was a game-changer. “That was really super helpful because project planning is something you often fall into as part of your role, but this gave me the formal structure behind it. I now feel more confident in keeping projects on track and ensuring they deliver results.”

The power of coaching

A highlight of the programme for both Maurice and Melanie was the coaching element. Maurice reflects “I used to look forward to my coaching sessions. My coach wasn’t just guiding me through the course; she had a great understanding for the challenges I was facing at work as well as supporting me through those questions of how I applied this day to day and week to week in my work.”

Melanie emphasised that coaching was crucial in managing the workload.

“The way it was structured - broken down into bite-sized pieces - was key. There was a point where I asked my coach, ‘What’s coming up next?’ and she said, ‘Don’t worry about that. Focus on this now, and I’ll make sure you get through the next step.’ That approach was absolutely critical. Without that structured guidance, I don’t think I would have completed the programme.”

Charlie stresses that the coaching aspect was crucial for participants to balance learning with their demanding roles. “Time management was a big challenge. The most successful learners were those who protected time for study and proactively sought projects where they could apply their learning. That’s where coaching played a critical role in keeping them engaged and accountable.”

A leadership journey that’s just beginning

While Maurice and Melanie have completed the diploma, their learning journey is far from over. “I’d love to do an MBA one day, but for now, I’m focused on embedding everything I’ve learnt into my day-to-day work. I don’t want this to be a course I did once and forgot about - I want it to be something that I use daily and that becomes part of my normal routine” Maurice reflects.

Melanie offers advice for others considering the programme. “If you have the time for it, it’s absolutely worth it. You’ll need to involve other people, it is worth pointing out that this is something that’s going to impact more than just yourself.”