WITH extensive experience in management consultancy, Bob Wheeler and Mick Lock were well placed to identify the market potential for their business. They set up Nottinghamshire-based Formula 4 Leadership in 2001 and have since been joined by IT expert Nick Burnard.

The team is committed to improving the health of organisations by showing leaders how to get the best results with and through their people.

Bob says: "No one style is universally applicable, our approach emphasises that effective leadership depends on understanding the requirements of each decision-making situation.

"It helps the leader assess how much participation or power sharing is appropriate for success and what form any involvement should take."

Bob explains how Formula 4 Leadership began.

"Through running our own management consultancies, Mick and I were clear that focused leadership is crucial to the performance of every business.

"We assessed the models we were using and were sure we could develop something better and that was the start of Formula 4.

"Initially, all our emphasis was on the Leadership Judgement Indicator which assesses leadership capability and was published in 2005 by Hogrefe, one of the largest publishers of psychometric instruments in Europe. It has now been completed by over 6,000 people and is being translated into seven languages."

Bob continues: "In response to customer demand we have broadened our portfolio of services and products for developing people's leadership skills.

"The most recent addition is our on-line Coach on the Desktop. This unique product improves leadership ability quickly and cost effectively. Its introduction has been a significant breakthrough for our company."

The comprehensive range of products from Formula 4 Leadership includes training videos, online tools, workshops and other tailored training and development to bring out the best in companies and individuals.

Formula 4 Leadership has worked with the Business Link service for a number of years. An adviser helped the company to identify and subsequently apply for funding. "There has been continued support from Business Link regarding marketing," says Bob. "Recently our adviser has been working with us to review our organisation structures in order to bring further improvements to development, production and delivery of our products."

The recent marketing work has focused on new products developed for specific sectors, including sales, educational leadership and companies operating globally.

The team has now identified potential for their products in the international market. "We want to replicate the strong market presence we have in the UK and export looks like a key area for us as our products gain exposure in Europe, Asia, North and South America," adds Bob.

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