An Axe & Arrow Proposal Prepared For:

Vertical Divider
Josh Zimmerman, Global Talent Development Leader

ORGANIZATIONAL NEEDS ANALYSIS

Kong stands at a pivotal pre-IPO moment, a journey demanding not just product innovation, but world-class leadership to propel its brand and secure its future. To achieve Aghi's vision of an IPO and establish Kong as an undisputed leader in the tech landscape, we must cultivate a caliber of leadership that not only drives exceptional performance but also elevates our brand, attracting and retaining the industry's most sought-after talent. This foundational investment in leadership development isn't merely about personal growth; it's a strategic imperative that ensures our internal capabilities match our external ambitions, fostering a culture of distinction and operational excellence that will define Kong's next era of success and provide clear, measurable returns on investment.

  • Elevating Kong's Brand & Attracting Top Talent: A unified, "world-class" leadership program establishes Kong as an employer of choice, critical for attracting and retaining the elite talent necessary for IPO success and sustained growth, leveraging our unique "Leadership Certification" to signal our commitment to excellence and brand cache.​

  • Optimizing Performance & Driving Results: By embedding Kong's "Inspire, Coach, Inspect" and "Results Matter" principles through practical conversational skills (e.g., effective 1:1s, goal setting, feedback), leaders will significantly enhance team productivity, accountability, and the efficient execution needed to achieve aggressive pre-IPO milestones.
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  • Mitigating Risk & Enhancing Legal Compliance: Equipping managers with sophisticated feedback and crucial conversation skills (as part of "Disagree and Support") directly reduces instances of poorly handled performance issues and associated legal exposure, ensuring a compliant and fair workplace critical for public company scrutiny.
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  • Boosting Employee Engagement & Retention: Improving manager effectiveness and support—as measured by a 10-point increase in manager satisfaction scores—directly impacts employee retention, transforming leaders into "Talent Magnets" who cultivate loyalty and reduce costly first-year turnover, thus safeguarding our human capital investment.
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  • Fostering Strategic Agility & Decision Quality: Empowering senior leaders to "Zoom Out" for vision setting, "Speed Up the Clock" through prioritization, and "Make the Right Calls" with precision ensures Kong can navigate the complex, rapidly evolving landscape inherent to a pre-IPO tech company, translating into agile and impactful business decisions.

Program
Objectives
This leadership development initiative aims to achieve the following:
  • Establish World-Class Leadership & Brand Cache: Cultivate a distinct "Kong Leadership" identity, unifying leaders at all levels under Kong's core principles to enhance brand reputation and attract top-tier talent essential for IPO success.

  • Drive Measurable Performance & Accountability: Equip leaders with practical skills to "Inspire, Coach, Inspect," set clear goals, and conduct effective performance conversations, leading to improved team productivity and a significant reduction in performance management issues.

  • Enhance Talent Retention & Engagement: Strengthen manager-employee relationships and boost manager effectiveness (evidenced by a 10-point increase in support scores), transforming leaders into "Talent Magnets" who reduce costly first-year turnover and foster a highly engaged workforce.

  • Cultivate Strategic Agility & Decision Quality: Empower senior leaders to "Zoom Out" for vision setting, "Speed Up the Clock" with prioritization, and "Make the Right Calls" effectively, ensuring rapid, informed, and compliant decision-making in Kong's fast-paced environment.
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  • Formalize a Consistent Leadership Framework: Implement Kong's "Leadership Certification Future State FY26" by providing structured, integrated development pathways that reinforce a common language and toolkit, ensuring consistent excellence across all leadership tiers.

PROPOSED SOLUTION

Our proposed solution offers two distinct, yet integrated, leadership programs designed to align seamlessly with Kong's "Leadership Certification Future State FY26" framework. Each program is meticulously crafted to address the unique developmental needs of different leadership levels, while reinforcing a cohesive, Kong-specific leadership culture. Axe & Arrow will act as a dedicated partner, driving the design, development, and facilitation, ensuring deep integration with Kong's unique lexicon, principles, and strategic vision. Both programs will leverage pre-work, interactive "live sessions" (including "real play" scenarios and peer practice), and Kong-branded materials to ensure maximum impact and practical application, contributing to Kong's overall "Leadership Certification" journey.

PROG 1: EMERGING LEADERS PROGRAM
The Kong Leadership Conversations Series

​Specifically designed for Kong's new and emerging leaders (Senior Manager+), equipping them with the foundational skills to effectively manage their teams while simultaneously leading for impact. This program integrates Kong's core principles into practical, actionable conversational frameworks, enabling leaders to "Build the Foundation" and "Strengthen the Core" of their leadership capabilities. Participants will master essential dialogues around feedback, goal setting, and the art of enabling their teams, crucial for navigating the daily complexities of leading at Kong and developing their direct reports.​
PROG 2: SENIOR LEADERS PROGRAM
Kong Catalyst

​An advanced leadership program tailored for Senior Director+ and OLT members, pushing Kong's leadership principles to their highest expression. This program challenges experienced leaders to "Zoom Out" for strategic vision, "Speed Up the Clock" through focused prioritization, and "Make the Right Calls" with precision. Catalyst sharpens executive decision-making, fosters advanced communication, and cultivates the ability to "Disagree and Support" critical for driving significant outcomes. Through immersive experiences, senior leaders will translate abstract principles into tangible, high-impact actions that directly contribute to Kong's pre-IPO success and future market leadership.
Ingrid and her team have been amazing to work with.  They are experts and great partners in developing leadership training for our team.  I lost count as to how many participants have said the training they received was the best they have ever taken.  My organization identified a need to build strong leaders.  We worked with Ingrid to co-create a program to address areas such as influencing, compelling conversations, and executive presence.  Despite participants having to get out of their comfort zone, they were completely engaged, embraced the learnings, and had fun throughout the experience.  I have nothing but high regards for Ingrid and her team!
- Willie Lee, VP of Marketing Operations, GOOGLE

FOUR CLEAR PROGRAM OPTIONS 

To address Kong's diverse leadership needs and provide flexibility, we propose four distinct options for pilot programs. Each option focuses on a single cohort of 12-15 participants to ensure maximum engagement and impact. The chosen option(s) can then be scaled or adapted for subsequent cohorts as Kong builds its comprehensive "Leadership Certification" pathway.
OPTION A: Fully Virtual
Kong Leadership Conversations Series

This option is the foundational pillar for new and emerging leaders, delivering practical skills efficiently through a fully remote format. It’s ideal for broad reach and flexibility.
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  • Target Audience: New Leaders (Senior Manager+), newly promoted leaders.
  • Structure: Six (6) virtual sessions, each 3 hours, held every three weeks.
  • Key Benefits: Cost-effective, accessible, focused on immediate application of Kong's foundational leadership principles and conversational skills (e.g., "Effective 1:1s," "Inspire, Coach, Inspect").
OPTION B: Hybrid (In-Person Kickoff)
Kong Leadership Conversations Series

Building on the virtual series, this option enhances cohort bonding and initial engagement with an in-person kickoff for emerging leaders.
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  • Target Audience: New Leaders (Senior Manager+), newly promoted leaders.
  • Structure: One (1) full-day in-person kickoff, followed by five (5) virtual sessions (3 hours each) every three weeks.
  • Key Benefits: Combines the impact of in-person connection with virtual convenience, strengthens cohort dynamics, and provides a robust start to mastering Kong's foundational leadership principles. 
OPTION C: Hybrid (In-Person Kickoff & Capstone + Virtual Modules)
Kong Catalyst

This option for senior leaders blends intensive in-person strategy sessions with flexible virtual learning, maximizing engagement for high-level development.
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  • Target Audience: Senior Director+ leaders, LT members.
  • Structure: A 1-day in-person kickoff, three (3) virtual sessions (3 hours each) every four weeks, culminating in a 1-day in-person capstone event.
  • Key Benefits: Ideal for strategic development, leveraging in-person time for deep dives into Kong's "Zoom Out" and "Make the Right Calls" principles, with virtual sessions supporting sustained application and peer collaboration.
OPTION D: Fully In-Person Immersion
Kong Catalyst

​The most intensive option for senior leaders, providing a concentrated, distraction-free environment for strategic transformation and direct application of Kong's advanced leadership principles.
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  • Target Audience: Senior Director+.
  • Structure: ​Three (3) intensive two-day learning experiences (total 6 days), held typically 6-8 weeks apart. 
  • Key Benefits: Offers an immersive experience for mastering Kong's "Drive Outcomes" and "Results Matter" principles, fostering high-impact decision quality, accountability, and advanced crucial conversations in a focused setting. This format cultivates strong cohort bonds and provides sustained engagement to drive tangible strategic change.

INVESTMENT

About Your Coach

INGRID WIESE
Ingrid brings over twenty years of experience to this engagement, having helped thousands of leaders worldwide transform their communication style to drive greater influence and organizational impact. Her expertise is built on a unique foundation of high-stakes negotiation; beginning her career with the US State Department in Eastern Europe, she coached political leaders through complex conflict resolution and peace negotiations. This background provides her with a rare and practical depth of perspective on how to navigate the "friction" essential to leadership, which she further honed by executing strategies that raised over $100 million for major NGOs.

Ingrid backs this real-world experience with rigorous academic training, holding Advanced Certificates in Influence and Leadership from both Harvard Law School and M.I.T., as well as a Master’s in International Relations from Syracuse University. As the founder of Axe & Arrow Coaching and senior faculty for the McKinsey LEAD program, she blends the psychological acuity of a mediator with the strategic focus required by top-tier organizations. Her client list includes global giants like Google, Facebook, Disney, and Microsoft, where she acts as a trusted partner in helping managers evolve into strategic leaders.

Why Axe & Arrow?

We Create Custom Solutions
We are not a training organization. We are a problem solving partner, helping you move your organization from point A to   point B.  Our solutions dig deep into the underlying needs of your people, and we co-create fully customized learning solutions, tailored to the unique challenges of your organization. 
We Stress Practical Application
It's not enough to raise awareness or simply educate your people. We equip leaders with practical tools and practice them immediately in the workshop to transform mindsets and behaviors in the workplace.  Our ongoing learning and coaching plans help leaders sustain their skills and mindsets and transform the way they lead.
​We Infuse Energy Into All Our Offerings
We believe great learning happens when audiences are passionately engaged in the content.  This means energized coaches and participant environments designed to boost engagement and focused learning.  We use layered learning experiences that involve self-reflection, group discussion, gamification, simulation and case studies.
We Can Scale Quickly
With 200+ coaches across 10 countries, we can quickly spread learning and impact to all members of your geographically dispersed teams.  With our cohort systems we can launch your global learning experience tomorrow. 
We Are Virtual Experts
We've been running successful VILT programs for over a decade with a 98% VGE participant rating. We are experts at engaging our audiences with a variety of interactive tools that draw audiences into a safe and intimate learning experience.  Our coaches set the benchmark for excellence in VILT.
“I was challenged to bring a performance management program to over 300, globally dispersed managers. Our managers were effective at leading for technical results but needed to accelerate their transformation as people leaders.

Axe & Arrow hit the right note across a diverse level of needs. They used surveys, interviews and a pilot to create a highly engaging, rapid, applied learning program to meet our leaders where they most needed help. This enabled them to apply their new skills immediately back on the job.

Over the course of one year, Axe & Arrow elevated the quality of four key performance conversations with 300 of our managers across the globe. Now our leaders are having more frequent and meaningful performance and career conversations and are receiving higher engagement ratings from our employees.

Axe & Arrow Coaching has produced lasting results for my organization. They continually provide fresh ideas in the most current leadership practices. They also vastly increased the confidence of our managers and helped us scale our programs quickly. If you are looking for a world-class learning partner that takes time to understand your needs then you have found them."

Julie Hasset, VP, Chief of Staff, SaaS Engineering, Oracle