Border States Turns Consistent Survey Feedback into Two Leadership Programs That Promoted 26% of Their First Cohort Within Five Months

What Was the Opportunity?

Since launching companywide engagement surveys in 2017, Border States has maintained participation in the 90th percentile under the internal rallying cry “Speak Up. Inspire Change.” Year after year, across roles and locations, one message rose to the top: employee-owners wanted more opportunities to learn, grow, and develop.

The feedback was not about a lack of managerial support. Managers scored 86% favorability for supporting skill and career development in the most recent survey. The gap was structural: employee-owners wanted more internal pathways for advancement, more training, and more skill-building opportunities. The pattern held for both logistics roles (Warehouse Associates, Drivers) and non-logistics positions.

Industry dynamics made the need more urgent. The electrical distribution sector faces a tightening labor market and a wave of approaching retirements. A significant percentage of Border States’ workforce is projected to retire in the near future, making upskilling and internal succession planning a business priority, not just an engagement priority. Without action, the organization risked succession gaps, erosion of customer service quality, and weakened retention of high-potential employee-owners who might leave for development opportunities elsewhere.

What Was the Solution?

Border States’ four-person Learning and Development team reviewed the engagement survey data, met with internal leaders, frontline employee-owners, and external experts, and built two programs directly from the findings: the Emerging Leader Program and the Leadership Jumpstart for Supervisors Program.

Emerging Leader Program

A nine-month, enterprise-wide leadership development initiative for high-potential individual contributors who are not yet in formal leadership roles. The program develops future leaders through three integrated focus areas: Self-Awareness and Personal Mastery, Business Acumen and Strategic Insight, and Leadership Impact and Influence. Participants engage in a blended experience that includes in-person sessions, virtual learning, mentoring, peer collaboration, and real-world application.

The program was designed to respond specifically to the survey’s recurring theme: employee-owners wanted growth opportunities that did not depend on an immediate promotion being available. The Emerging Leader Program created a visible, structured pathway for development that existed independently of open leadership positions, allowing participants to build capability and confidence regardless of title.

Leadership Jumpstart for Supervisors

A nine-month cohort-based program for supervisors at all experience levels, from brand-new to multi-decade veterans. The curriculum covers three areas: Leadership Skills (communication, collaboration, emotional intelligence, self-awareness), HR Foundations, and Company and Culture. The program blends in-person immersive sessions with monthly virtual sessions to reinforce learning and sustain behavior change over time.

Leadership Jumpstart addressed a different angle of the same survey feedback: while managers scored well on supporting development, the organization needed to equip supervisors with a shared leadership language, consistent practices, and the foundational skills to retain and develop their teams. By targeting supervisors as the front-line leadership layer, the program created consistency across a rapidly growing, geographically dispersed organization.

What Was the Impact?

Emerging Leader Program

26% of the first cohort promoted within five months. Five of 19 participants in the inaugural cohort were promoted within five months of completing the program, reflecting increased leadership readiness, confidence, and organizational visibility. For an employee-owned company targeting 75% internal fill rates for leadership roles, this early promotion rate demonstrates that the pipeline is producing results.

Self-reported capability gains across core leadership dimensions. By program completion, the majority of participants self-assessed at advanced or expert levels in emotional intelligence, communication, coaching, adaptability, collaboration, and conflict management. Participants consistently cited increased self-awareness and greater intentionality in how they respond rather than react.

Retention signal from participants. While formal retention metrics were not tracked for this cohort, multiple participants reported that the program arrived at a pivotal moment in their careers and reinforced their decision to stay and grow within Border States. One participant credited the program with “restoring confidence, hope, and direction” during a difficult period.

Leadership Jumpstart for Supervisors

Consistently high post-program ratings. The majority of participants rated their experience 4–5 on a 5-point scale across all key measures, including professional development, work engagement, career satisfaction, connection with fellow employee-owners, and overall program quality.

Observable behavior change reported by supervisors. Participants reported increased confidence, more frequent and effective coaching conversations, stronger recognition practices, greater self-awareness, and improved delegation and conflict resolution. Several supervisors described the program as arriving “just in time,” helping them remain engaged when they might otherwise have disengaged or left. One supervisor credited the program with directly influencing a promotion and subsequently launched a local leadership class, extending the development model beyond the cohort.

Strongest impact among first-time and operational leaders. The largest gains were observed among new or recently promoted supervisors, supervisors without prior formal leadership training, and branch- and warehouse-based leaders who applied skills immediately in complex, people-intensive environments.