Challenge
Like many fast-growing companies in the life sciences space, Shockwave Medical faced the classic scale-up hurdle: converting technical talent into effective people leaders.
Their new managers brought deep expertise—but lacked the essential soft skills needed to build trust, align teams, and navigate conflict.
360 reviews surfaced gaps in emotional intelligence, HR teams were handling preventable escalations, and team performance suffered from poor communication and lack of clarity.
Leaders were promoted into management roles but weren’t set up to succeed—yet.
Solution
Learnit partnered with Shockwave to design a tailored leadership development path—not a one-size-fits-all program, but a thoughtful evolution that matched Shockwave’s pace of growth and people strategy.
The journey began with Emerging Leader Cohorts: a curated series of live, high-engagement workshops focused on foundational leadership behaviors like giving feedback, managing conflict, and building collaborative teams.
Curriculum sequencing was driven by real-time business needs and direct input from internal stakeholders.
After gaining early traction, the program expanded to support Next-Level Leaders—tenured managers ready for deeper dives into coaching, change leadership, and strategic communication.
Key success factors included:
- Strategic workshop tracks like Giving Feedback, Managing Conflict, and Coaching Your Team
- Active manager involvement before, during, and after each cohort to reinforce behavior change
- Continuity of facilitation to deepen engagement and accountability
- Ongoing reporting and program iteration based on participant feedback and HR insights
Results
From day one, Shockwave’s employees leaned in—with participation rates and post-session evaluations surpassing expectations.
"This was one of the most useful trainings I’ve had in my career." — Samantha, Giving Feedback
"I’ve already used the feedback model in a tough conversation—it de-escalated fast and helped us move forward." — Michael, Difficult Conversations
"Now I have a framework for hard conversations and setting expectations clearly." — Nina, Leadership Communication
Teams were more aligned, feedback loops improved, and friction between departments eased.
"Our facilitator created a space where everyone felt heard and challenged—in the best way." — Kevin, Managing Conflict
"What stood out was how relevant everything felt. This wasn’t theoretical—it was practical, actionable, and real." — Alex, Coaching Skills
"I wasn’t sure I had time for this program—but I’m so glad I made the time. Every session gave me something valuable." — Rachel, Emerging Leader Cohort
Several employees advanced from the Emerging Leader program into the Next-Level track, applying their growth mindset and leadership toolkit to increasingly complex roles.
Why It Worked
Challenge-driven design: Programming evolved in direct response to real-world team challenges—not generic templates.
Leader-led reinforcement: Participant managers were actively involved in support and accountability.
Facilitator consistency: Learners built rapport and trust through ongoing facilitation relationships.
Continuous iteration: Shockwave and Learnit co-steered the program through regular reflection and refinement.
What's Next
Extend foundational leadership workshops to individual contributors, equipping future leaders with communication and emotional intelligence skills.
Continue tiered development pathways to support managers across the employee lifecycle.
Integrate Learnit learning experiences into onboarding, performance reviews, and everyday leadership conversations.
At Shockwave, leadership development isn’t just a series of workshops—it’s a strategic lever for sustainable growth, team alignment, and long-term success.
