Elevating PUMA’s managers for agile leadership

PUMA partnered with Electives to give 75 North American managers practical, live leadership development aligned with the company’s values. Across a nine-part series, managers learned from diverse experts, built cross-functional relationships and practiced skills related to trust, alignment, engagement, delegation and productivity.

The opportunity: Developing stronger managers

PUMA’s People team identified manager enablement as a priority during a dynamic period for the business. The program needed to strengthen resilience and equip leaders to build teams that could navigate challenges together. Investing in leadership, culture and retention strategies was central to that goal.

That’s where Electives came in. Electives is an enterprise learning platform that combines live expert-led classes, AI simulations and analytics that help HR and People teams support behavior change. With a shared passion for growth and innovation, the teams collaborated to design a nine-part learning series tailored to PUMA’s leadership development needs.

The partnership aimed to ensure managers gained practical tools to empower their teams, along with the confidence and skills to navigate challenges, drive engagement and cultivate a positive workplace culture.

The solution: A live leadership learning series

The People team at PUMA wanted leaders to empower those around them by fully embracing PUMA’s values: bravery, confidence, determination and joy. PUMA describes these values as principles that guide how the company acts and competes. To bring this vision to life, the team needed programming that connected the values to managers’ daily interactions.

The cohort consisted of 75 managers from North America, most overseeing two or more direct reports. Participants came from a variety of teams, creating an opportunity to build cross-departmental relationships. Managers were invited to participate in at least seven of the nine classes to earn a certificate, supporting commitment and engagement. Every class was live, delivered over Zoom in 60- to 90-minute increments and structured as an interactive workshop.

Electives and PUMA met in person to match competencies with instructors, recognizing the value of bringing a variety of perspectives into the program. The People team sought instructors who could offer fresh insights and match PUMA’s energy, including an athlete, a Wharton Business School professor, a former startup product leader and a former CEO. Each instructor brought distinct expertise aligned with the program’s key competencies: building trust, ensuring alignment, supporting engagement and boosting productivity.

To create a cohesive learning experience, instructors aligned on PUMA’s goals before the series began. Each session offered a distinct perspective while reinforcing themes introduced throughout the program. This connected design helped managers apply related ideas across multiple leadership situations.

The opening keynote featured the Head of the U.S. Cross-Country Ski Team, who discussed team connectedness and the value of a clear philosophy for decision-making and collaboration. Another standout moment came from a former school leader who emphasized accountability in management and opened his session by sharing a photo of his daughter wearing a PUMA soccer jersey.

The results

The program fostered a collaborative mindset, helping managers build relationships and develop a growth-focused approach. After attending the series, 92% of learners said the sessions would help them become more effective managers at PUMA. Participants valued the relevant topics, relatable instructors and varied points of view, and three sessions earned NPS scores above 73.

The program saw strong engagement, with an average class size of just over 30 learners per session. The 76% registration-to-attendance conversion suggests that managers prioritized the sessions they selected, even when emerging work challenges affected attendance. Sessions were recorded and available for playback for participants who could not attend live.

Aligned with the core value of confidence, success was defined early and measured by managers developing the skills to navigate difficult conversations and move from avoidance toward proactive problem-solving.

Learners described greater confidence:

I liked that what I learned today was for self-improvement so that I can in turn be a better leader and share my learnings. The fact that I was able to take away actionable items that I can start incorporating into my routine right now leaving the class is inspiring.

The one lesson I think of most often is from Part 8: Delegation. “If a task is routine, it is not growing my skills anymore. It can be delegated to help grow my direct report.”

The specific lesson helped me elevate my direct report! I trust her, I know she does a great job. Realizing that my previous boss did this with me, and I appreciate her so much for doing it, I needed to let go and delegate these tasks to help my direct report grow. Since this training, I have been a better leader and received this feedback…I would highly recommend it to colleagues! Thank you for having me be a part of it!

Learners also valued the mix of perspectives:

The series provided a well-balanced mix of focus areas. Some sessions served as valuable refreshers, enhanced by expertise from other fields (e.g., Delegation), while others introduced entirely new perspectives (e.g., Coaching for Performance and Super Productive).

I appreciated the session lengths; they were concise enough to fit into a busy schedule yet comprehensive enough to be informative and allow for meaningful interaction with the presenters. The diversity of presenters and their varied presentation styles added to the experience. Some took a strategic and technical approach to addressing challenges, while others shared relatable life and work experiences, offering practical insights.

Each speaker and seminar I attended had a different energy and perspective on successful leadership. It wasn’t always easy to carve out the time, but I came away believing it was a worthwhile investment in myself.

At the conclusion of the first cohort, the team planned to launch a second cohort for new leaders in spring 2025. The proposed series included returning instructors who resonated with participants and new instructors who could add fresh perspectives. This approach was designed to keep the program relevant and responsive to evolving needs.

The next phase was also designed to give learners access to Electives AI Simulations for post-class skill application. A safe space to practice with feedback can help participants continue developing the behaviors introduced during live sessions.

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