Welcome! Thanks for joining me here as we dive into one of the most important areas of CX transformation: leadership activation. This is something I’ve been reflecting on a lot lately, and I’ve realized just how crucial it is to get leaders truly involved—not just at the beginning, but as a sustained, embedded part of the journey.
In this blog, I’ll guide you through five essential steps that have proven effective in helping leaders, from CEOs to team managers, play an active role in CX transformation. Whether you’re looking to energize your leaders for the first time or take your program to a new level, these steps are designed to make the impact last.
Step 1: Assess Your Leadership Levels
Let’s start at the top. The first thing I always look at is the structure of the leadership team in an organization. Every organization has different layers and, depending on the size, you might have just a few or quite a lot. So, the first question is: Who are the key leaders in each level?
Typically, you’ll see something like:
- C-Level/CEO: Here you’ll find the key decision-makers—the people setting the vision.
- Director Level: The next layer of leadership, often crucial for shaping direction within specific departments.
- Manager/Team Leader Level: These leaders oversee day-to-day execution and ensure that CX goals are translated into daily activities.
Understanding the makeup of these layers will give you insight into how to tailor your activation strategy. If you have hundreds of managers, you’ll need a different approach than if you have a small group of leaders. Remember, knowing who you’re working with is just as important as what you’re asking them to do.
Step 2: Make It Role-Specific and Tangible
Let’s be real—leadership looks very different from one level to the next. A CEO’s daily activities won’t be the same as a team leader’s. That’s why it’s so important to make leadership activation specific and tangible for each role.
For instance, we’ve created a simple one-pager for leaders at all levels to select monthly CX-focused activities. Here’s a taste of what’s on that list:
- Ask team members what they’re doing to support CX.
- Celebrate CX successes by recognizing team members who go the extra mile.
- Identify blockers that prevent a great customer experience—and commit to tackling them.
This list isn’t set in stone. Leaders are encouraged to pick the activities that feel right for them, and some may even add their own. Giving leaders a few specific options helps make their involvement feel manageable and relevant, instead of an overwhelming add-on.
Step 3: Onboard Leaders by Level
Here’s a common scenario I see: the roadmap for CX transformation is created, but only shared with C-level leaders. And while that’s an important first step, to create real engagement, every level of leadership should feel included and empowered with the roadmap.
We often create a customized onboarding process for each level. For example, when we onboard team leaders, we’ll share the high-level roadmap but focus more on practical, day-to-day examples that they can relate to. Likewise, onboarding directors might involve a strategy session to dive deeper into the leadership aspects of CX.
The key here is that onboarding doesn’t happen in a single meeting. It’s a process, with tailored content for each level to ensure all leaders, from the top down, understand their role in CX transformation.
Step 4: Share and Celebrate CX Progress Regularly
A CX transformation isn’t a one-time initiative—it’s a journey. And like any journey, it’s important to share progress regularly to keep everyone motivated and aware of where we’re headed. Monthly updates can do wonders for maintaining engagement.
One approach I love is a monthly CX pulse update, where we share the latest CX metrics and successes with the entire leadership team. It can be as simple as sharing an improvement in a specific customer experience metric or celebrating a team member who excelled in delivering CX.
This is also a great time to highlight a single CX driver each month. For example, “We’re scoring a 3.4 on a scale of 5 for being accessible to our customers. What’s one thing we can all do this month to improve accessibility?” When leaders have a regular rhythm of CX updates, it helps them weave CX into their existing goals and KPIs, making it a true part of the organizational DNA.
Step 5: Embed CX into Existing Hierarchies and Habits
Finally, let’s talk about one of the most important, yet overlooked aspects of CX transformation: embedding it into the hierarchy. This means that instead of creating separate CX meetings, you make CX a regular agenda item in existing meetings—whether they’re about sales, operations, or HR.
When CX is integrated into the usual rhythm of leadership meetings, it becomes a constant reminder rather than an extra initiative. This way, leaders aren’t just involved in CX on paper; they’re living it. For example, at each monthly team leader meeting, ask them to reflect on one CX activity they committed to in the last month. How did it go? What were the challenges? And, what will they focus on next month?
This simple check-in helps keep leaders accountable, and it’s totally fine if there’s a month where other priorities take over. The goal here isn’t perfection; it’s consistency. Leaders should know that even if CX activities aren’t perfect every month, the commitment to CX as part of their routine will help build long-lasting habits.
Additional Tips for Activating Leadership in CX Transformation
Along the way, I’ve found a few extra practices that help make CX activation even more effective:
- Adopt a Colleague: This is a personal favorite. Leaders can each “adopt” a team member or colleague, checking in monthly to ask, “How’s it going? Anything I can support you with?” It’s a simple yet powerful way to grow the team actively engaged in CX—doubling the impact with just a small time investment.
- Share Content Regularly: Creating a shared language and understanding is essential. We often develop a CX learning track, where leaders receive biweekly resources on topics like customer-centricity or leadership in CX. This could be a podcast, article, or a quick video—anything that keeps the conversation alive and relevant.
- Quarterly Leadership Pulse Check: Every quarter, leaders at all levels can answer a few questions like “Do you feel you understand how to contribute to CX transformation?” or “Are there blockers preventing you from leading CX?” These insights help track progress, making sure we’re on the right path and can adjust where needed.
Bringing It All Together
Activating leadership in CX transformation isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. It requires a mix of structure, personalization, and constant communication. Whether you’re setting monthly activities or integrating CX into existing meetings, the most important thing is to keep the momentum going.
The more we bring leaders on board, the more we can make CX transformation not just a program but a core part of how the organization functions. And that’s where the magic happens—not in the big steps, but in the consistent, small actions taken across every level of leadership.
Thank you for joining me on this journey. If there’s one thing I hope you take away, it’s that leadership activation in CX transformation is about building CX into the very DNA of your organization. And that’s a journey worth taking.
That’s it for now! Let’s keep the conversation going—whether it’s through podcasts, videos, or good old blogs. Remember, CX isn’t just a target; it’s a continuous journey that starts with each one of us. Happy transforming!
