Client

The client is a globally engaged humanitarian organization committed to alleviating poverty, advancing social justice, and supporting marginalized communities in some of the world’s most challenging environments. Operating in over 100 countries, they work hand-in-hand with local partners to build sustainable solutions that address systemic inequality and empower individuals, especially women and girls, to lead resilient, self-determined lives. With a decentralized structure and culturally diverse workforce, the organization is known for its collaborative ethos and its unwavering focus on dignity, equity, and inclusion in everything it does.

Challenge

The challenge centered on the need to strengthen leadership capacity within a globally dispersed, culturally diverse organization, where influence often occurs without the presence of formal authority. Operating in a matrixed structure, this client’s workforce faces the complex task of collaborating across time zones, cultural norms, and functional silos, all while maintaining clarity of purpose, accountability, and momentum. Traditional command-and-control leadership models no longer suffice in this context. Instead, the organization required a new paradigm of leadership, one that emphasizes relational agility, cultural intelligence, and the nuanced ability to inspire and guide peers, partners, and stakeholders without direct oversight.

The client’s decentralized structure and values-driven mission further amplify the need for leaders who can listen actively, adapt respectfully, and build alignment through trust, empathy, and influence rather than title or rank. This challenge is compounded by the organization’s evolving operating model, which increasingly demands cross-functional collaboration, virtual team effectiveness, and inclusive decision-making that honors both local insight and global direction. As such, the development initiative had to respond not only to a skills gap, but also to a broader cultural imperative: cultivating an ecosystem of leadership that is contextually aware, deeply human-centered, and capable of mobilizing collective effort toward mission-critical outcomes, without relying on traditional hierarchical levers. Addressing this multifaceted challenge called for a learning journey that resonates across roles and regions, reinforcing leadership behaviors that are both practical and principled in service of sustainable impact.

Solution

To meet this multifaceted leadership challenge, AMS developed a highly tailored learning experience designed to resonate across a globally distributed, culturally rich organizational context. Drawing from three foundational programs, Leading Without Authority in a Matrixed Organization, Influencing Skills in a Matrix Organization, and Journey to Cultural Intelligence: Leading Across Cultures, the solution we crafted is both integrated and adaptive. Through our Client-Centric Engagement Model, we collaborated closely with the organization’s stakeholders to co-create a learning pathway that reflects the realities of their structure, mission, and workforce diversity. The result is a hybrid curriculum delivered in two immersive 3.5-hour sessions, each shaped to equip participants with the interpersonal tools, contextual awareness, and influence strategies necessary for success.

Far from being an off-the-shelf experience, the design incorporates proprietary AMS learning elements, including scenario-driven application exercises, curated support artifacts, and reflective thought leader questions, that ensure deep engagement and relevance. Every component is anchored in promoting sustainable behavior change, not just knowledge acquisition. Led by a certified senior AMS subject matter expert, the sessions are structured to foster practical insight and shared learning across cohorts, regardless of geographic or functional boundaries. This approach not only addresses the immediate learning need but also advances a broader leadership mindset that empowers individuals to navigate ambiguity, bridge cultural gaps, and drive aligned action, without reliance on formal authority.

Benefits

As a result of this initiative, the client has seen measurable gains in leadership alignment, cross-cultural communication, and the ability of team members to influence outcomes without relying on positional authority. Participants reported increased confidence navigating complex, matrixed dynamics and greater clarity in fostering collaboration across functional and regional boundaries. The tailored content and experiential design helped embed practical strategies into day-to-day leadership behavior, elevating both individual performance and organizational cohesion.

Perhaps most significantly, the client has now institutionalized the learning through AMS’s T3 (Train-the-Trainer) model, enabling internal facilitators to deliver the program globally with fidelity. This scalable solution ensures ongoing capability-building and reinforces a consistent leadership culture across the organization—anchored in influence, cultural intelligence, and shared mission.