About
Google for Startups
The partnership between OverTime Leader and Google for Startups was established to find ways to support founders that are leading the way in female health and wellness. Google for Startups knows that startups are solving the world’s important challenges by coming at them with a different perspective - thinking outside of the box to solve real life problems. Google for Startups gives founders and entrepreneurs the tools, connections, and information to help them thrive and grow. In this particular partnership, the focus was on startups in the industry of technology focused on female health and wellness - also known as FemTech.
Why they came to us.
With founders from multiple companies all coming together to learn and grow, it requires an adaptive approach which is simultaneously broad and specified. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to leadership development, and it is even more difficult to build your own confidence when you are but one of many involved.
With this in mind, Google wanted to find a partner that would give each participant the individual attention they deserve while also providing a broader perspective on leadership.
The mission of the partnership was to enable startup leaders to bring their visions to life by instilling them with confidence, providing them practical tools for leadership, and a safe and trusted space to share learnings and reflect.
Having worked with similar companies in the past of having founders from different companies all together in a workshop, this was well within our wheelhouse.
Our Approach.
Using the Google framework, we came up with a holistic approach to fit in with their existing program with a 6 week plan which included remote group workshops, 1:1 coaching and a Dynamix profile, as well as roundtables with relevant VCs and industry experts.
As this was a group of female founders we wanted to ensure that they were filled with confidence and understood how to work with their inner critic, push themselves into unknown areas daily and understand where they can play to their strengths, and to be brave and bold in their actions.
We led the participants through two deep dives as a group; the first on defining their mission, vision and values, and the second on defining their personal leadership styles.
We covered topics of role modeling behaviors and how to set teams up for scalable success as well as how to unpack mission, vision, values and goals and what role they play in the process."
We closed off with an exercise that focused on ensuring they are set up for success and helping them solidify the leadership style they need to embody, where their strengths lie and how to hire and develop a stellar team around them to reach their business milestones.
By creating playbooks for participants to read, having deep dives as a group to discuss and complete exercises together, and 1:1 coaching sessions, the founders are able to understand both the broader perspective of how to grow, but are given the individual tools to implement it.
The programme combined theory, reflection, and practical application with the aim to use their current situation at hand to reinforce what’s being learned in our “deep dives”.
What we they did.
The participants came with an open mind to all of the group sessions. Open and honest communication always makes the workshops more engaging and helpful for all involved, and as they opened up about their personal situations it became very apparent that they all had a lot more in common than they believed when it came to both personal and professional factors.
The group completed an exercise which involved the Leadership Pendulum, and when combined with their personal dynamix communication profile it allowed them to understand how to leverage their strengths and understand what leadership style they want to show up with. In this cohort we explored how to apply a MVP approach to change, and how to unpack, understand and utilize, mission, vision, values and goals.
Along with these tailored deep dives, 1:1 Coaching and understanding their own communication style, the group went in feet first to a fully immersive program to grow as a leader with confidence, insight, and purpose.
The Impact.
With this mixed cohort of founders the group were able to share and discuss the similar experiences they were having, which created a supportive environment which is often missing for founders.
An overwhelming majority of participants were surprised, relieved and took great value in realizing that they have all faced similar challenges. It helped them see that they are not alone, and when we reach out for support, we all win.
The deep dives equipped them with tools and thought provoking questions to reflect on their leadership approach. This helped them decide where to focus their attention in defining their leadership for successful growth, both as an individual and for their companies.
The group utilized their 1:1 coaching sessions to talk about their individual challenges and define what leadership means for them.
