What happens when you take people out of their roles, out of their hierarchy, and place them somewhere completely unfamiliar?

Just a couple of weeks ago, a new Virtual Team TIE Leadership cohort kicked off with Leo Burnett London.

A group of people from across the agency, in different roles and with different skillsets, have come together to work with an organisation in Tanzania supporting people, particularly women and girls, with spinal cord injuries — Songambele Initiative Organization.

When we brought everyone together for the first time, we asked a simple question: why did you choose to do this?

I absolutely loved what came back.

“A desire to build confidence”.
“To do something new”.
“To step outside the day-to-day”.
“To use creativity and craft in a way that impacts the world”.
“To take skills built inside the agency and apply them somewhere completely different”.

And this is where something powerful begins.

Over the course of the programme, which lasts six weeks in total, this team will work with Songambele to help create communication that amplifies lived experiences and drives greater awareness, dignity, access to opportunity and inclusion.

But the impact doesn’t stop there. There is of course real value for the organisation on the ground, and meaningful progress against a critical social challenge.

But there is also something equally important happening inside Leo Burnett.

This is an opportunity for people to step beyond hierarchy. Take ownership in new ways. Discover capabilities they don’t always get to use. And build confidence not from theory, but from DOING.

When you create the space for people to apply their skills in a completely different context, something shifts.

Perspective expands, confidence grows, and collaboration starts to change.

This is about creating impact for others and, in doing so, unlocking potential within.

Through lived experience, people think differently, grow stronger, and connect in new ways.

This is a genuine win–win, and I can’t wait to share where the team gets to on the other side.

Because the real question isn’t whether the potential exists, it’s whether we’re creating the conditions for it to show up. If that’s something you’re thinking about, just reach out. Let’s have a chat.

Better Leaders. Better Companies. Better World.