The Vanguard Group

In late 2004, The Vanguard Group began developing a training program for their emerging managers. The program was designed to clearly explain the Vanguard culture and way of doing things to all new managers. The goal was to create a unified philosophy and practical approach to treating internal and external clients as well as all individuals and organizations with whom Vanguard interacts. The objective was the development of greater loyalty and commitment to the company leading to more productivity internally and more loyalty through greater investment by clients externally.

The students were either current employees recently promoted to management or new employees with previous managerial experience in other companies. Vanguard developed a five–day orientation program run approximately once a month that immersed crew members in the Vanguard culture. The final two days were devoted to an intensive hands–on examination of how to create and lead high–performance teams through inspirational leadership run by Team Concepts.

The Team Concepts’ portion of the program was a variation on our Olympic–themed program but was customized to meet Vanguard’s specific objectives. In this program, the Team Concepts’ Eight Secrets of Inspirational Leadership philosophy was seamlessly melded with Vanguard’s cultural values. The training used experiential elements mixed with seminars, storytelling, and break–out sessions to demonstrate and give students the chance to practice creating and

leading a high–performance team. The outcome was a motivated and dedicated group of managers who understood the vital importance of treating clients as teammates, believing in the potential and power of the individuals they lead, and putting their people and the company first.

In the five years since the program first ran, the company has grown considerably in every financial measure despite the worst economic recession of our time. More importantly, clients – both new and old – have flocked to Vanguard, trusting the stewardship of their management team to protect their financial well-being. Vanguard has been one of the few financial organizations to emerge stronger from the recent crisis. They have attributed this success to the widespread adherence to a common culture of value and service.

Vanguard CEO Bill McNabb had this to say about Team Concepts’ training:

Team Concepts has created a series of highly innovated programs focused on leadership and team building which are effective for all levels of an organization. What differentiates the Team Concepts’ approach from others is its highly experiential nature. We have had front–line management as well as senior officer participate and all have found the programs highly beneficial. I find the Eight Secrets to be so powerful in their truth and simplicity that I carry a copy of them with me wherever I go.
Bill McNabb CEO, The Vanguard Group