Resilient Leadership Through Organisational Transformation

This case study shows how Coventry Building Society strengthened leadership resilience during a period of high-stakes organisational transformation using BeTalent’s evidence-based approach.

Coventry Building Society entered a period of significant transformation with the acquisition of the Co-operative Bank. Leaders were required to guide colleagues through intense uncertainty while maintaining performance, supporting wellbeing, and sustaining a healthy organisational climate. Throughout this period, the ability to stay grounded, regulate pressure, and maintain clarity became a strategic necessity rather than a personal preference.

Partnering with BeTalent by Zircon, the Society invested in a Resilient Leadership programme that created space for reflection, strengthened coping habits, and equipped leaders with the tools to navigate a rapidly changing landscape.

Challenge

The organisation faced a dual reality. Leaders were navigating high-stakes integration activity while continuing to deliver business-as-usual across a wide and diverse colleague population. This created:

• Increasing emotional and cognitive load

• Decision fatigue and pressure spikes

• A need for leaders to support teams while managing their own wellbeing

• Moments where confidence, energy, and emotional resilience were stretched

Lucy Becque noted that while the change created enormous opportunity, it also brought intense periods where leaders needed support to “keep the wheels on” and stay effective during prolonged uncertainty.

Our Approach

BeTalent by Zircon designed a Resilient Leadership workshop for 60–80 leaders, supported by a structured pre-work and reflection process.

The programme included:

• Completion of the BeTalent Resilience questionnaire

• Listening to selected resilience-focused podcast episodes (The Chief Psychology Officer episodes 5, 27 & 49)

• Reviewing Resilience Summary Reports ahead of the event

The focus was on blending neuroscience, practical behavioural tools, and guided reflection, giving leaders both insight and actionable strategies to maintain energy, avoid burnout, and sustain personal control.

Deployment and Impact

The in-person workshop centred on seven components:

• Practical theory: Biases, imposter syndrome, burnout, and coping mechanisms

• Personal insight: Reviewing individual Resilience profiles in pairs

• Neuroscience of stress: How habits shift emotional regulation

• Group reflection: Facilitated discussion on the Group Resilience Report

• Micro-habits: Simple behaviours that can be embedded into daily routines

• Action planning: Clear commitments and accountability steps

• Final reflection: Space to pause, connect, and reset

Leaders described these sessions as timely “firebreaks”—moments that allowed them to step off the delivery treadmill, reconnect with colleagues, and regain clarity during high-pressure periods.

The programme was supported by tailored presentation materials, personalised reports, access to the Resilience Playbook, and a structured review process.

The Impact:

Shared Language and Stronger Conversations

Leaders gained a reliable framework for discussing pressure and wellbeing in a way that felt natural and non-intrusive.

Strengthened Habit Formation

Small, practical habits such as breathing routines, gratitude, and outdoor walking meetings quickly became embedded across teams.

Improved Connection Across Leadership Levels

Participants reported deeper trust, more open dialogue, and stronger support networks during difficult periods.

Positive Cultural Outcomes

In the wider organisation, engagement indicators such as empathy and managerial support rose to 91 percent, reinforcing the value of personal connection and wellbeing..