XVIVO’s leadership journey helped first-line leaders grow in self-awareness, confidence and trust. At the same time, it created stronger relationships and a more shared approach to leadership across teams, functions and geographies.
Rapid growth creates opportunities. It also demands a different kind of leadership.
As organisations expand across countries, functions and cultures, first-line leaders become key to translating strategy into everyday behaviour. They create trust, navigate uncertainty and connect teams that may no longer sit in the same office or even on the same continent.
For XVIVO, a global medtech company driven by the purpose “Nobody should die waiting for a new organ,” or “Save organs so transplant teams can save lives” leadership is closely connected to impact. To support continued growth, XVIVO partnered with Mannaz to create Leading with Purpose. The leadership journey was designed to strengthen self-awareness, psychological safety, collaboration and a shared leadership culture.
XVIVO is growing fast. The company has a strong vision, clear strategic goals and an increasingly global organisation. At the same time, many leaders were stepping into first-line leadership roles, some for the first time.
XVIVO wanted to give these leaders a common foundation while strengthening collaboration across teams, functions and countries. As the organisation grew, trust, communication and shared direction became increasingly important.
As Ylva Vihöj, SVP HR, describes it, the purpose was to help first-line leaders become more grounded in themselves and more aware of their role:
“We wanted all first-line managers to have the same foundation. Leadership should not be about trying to be someone else. It starts with understanding yourself.”
The programme followed a clear development journey:
Understand myself → Lead myself → Work effectively with others → Contribute to collective success → Navigate change and complexity
This progression formed the red thread throughout the eight-month blended programme, combining two face-to-face sessions with four virtual sessions, Hogan assessment and feedback, individual coaching and practical application.
Individual coaching was an important part of the journey, giving each participant the opportunity to focus on their own leadership patterns and development areas and translate insights into everyday leadership.
Equally important was creating the psychological safety that allowed participants to reflect openly, challenge themselves and learn from one another. This helped the group develop into a trusted learning community and strengthened relationships across the organisation.
The programme created both measurable and human impact.
Impact measurement was built into the journey from the start. All 11 participants completed both a baseline assessment before the programme and a follow-up assessment after completion. The results showed positive development across every leadership capability measured, with particularly strong improvements in communication, coaching and developing others, leading through change, addressing challenges, trust and psychological safety.
But the impact went beyond individual capability. Participants developed stronger relationships across teams and countries, became more reflective in their leadership and built a shared network that continues beyond the programme.
For many participants, the change was also deeply personal.
For Martin Kuizenga, Clinical Specialist Manager, one of the most important shifts was in how he approaches difficult conversations. Rather than immediately trying to solve a problem, he has become more comfortable slowing down, listening and trying to understand what is really going on.
“Many difficult situations are just normal conversations. I have become better at listening and understanding before trying to solve the problem.”
For Anna Boström, Marketing Director EU and RoW, the programme came at an important point in her leadership journey. As she stepped into formal people leadership, including leading former colleagues, the programme helped her build confidence in her own leadership approach.
“The programme gave me confidence. I realised that I didn’t have to become another type of leader. I could build on who I already was.”
For Dalton Shaull, Director of Digital Services, one of the most valuable outcomes went beyond his own leadership development. It was the relationships created with colleagues across the organisation.
“The relationships I developed with my colleagues are probably the most valuable thing that came out of it. The programme made me stronger, but even more importantly, it created much stronger internal relationships.”
Ylva Vihöj saw the same shift from an organisational perspective. Participants became more reflective, more conscious of how they lead and more aware of how their teams need to work together. She also noticed a greater tendency to assume positive intent. Instead of jumping to conclusions when something felt wrong, leaders became more curious, picked up the phone and sought to understand.
In other words, the programme did not only strengthen individual leaders. It helped create a more shared foundation for leadership and collaboration across XVIVO.
Founded in 1998, XVIVO is the only MedTech company dedicated to extending the life of all major organs – so transplant teams around the world can save more lives. XVIVO’s solutions allow leading clinicians and researchers to push the boundaries of organ transplantation.
XVIVO is a global company headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, and operates mainly across Europe, North America and Australia/New Zealand.
Client
XVIVO
Programme
Leading with Purpose
Participants
11 first-line leaders
Format
Eight-month blended leadership journey combining two face-to-face sessions, four virtual sessions, Hogan assessment and feedback, individual coaching and impact measurement
Executive sponsor
Christoffer Rosenhamer, CEO, XVIVO
HR sponsor
Ylva Vihöj, Senior Vice President, HR, XVIVO
Learning partner
Mannaz
Programme leads
Henrik Challis, Managing Director, Mannaz Sweden
Anna Rosdahl, Senior Consultant, Mannaz
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