Tuff Leadership Training: Pioneering Decentralized, Customer-Centric Workplaces

This blog post is part of 50+ case studies of self-managing organizations we created for the 2024 inaugural ZeroDX awards. These organizations embody the principles of RenDanHeYi in their work structures:

• Zero Distance to customer: Decision what to build is based on insights from the marketplace

• Autonomy: Small teams with full decision-making autonomy enable speed in execution

• Shared Rewards: Everyone in the micro-enterprise participates in its financial success.

Introducing Tuff Leadership

Founded over two decades ago, Tuff Leadership Training has emerged as a trailblazer in the realm of leadership development, offering innovative training programs aimed at transforming organizational cultures. With a focus on creating more human and impactful workplaces, Tuff operates in multiple industries, providing leadership training and consulting services across more than 20 countries. Their core mission is to empower leaders and teams to adopt a mindset that embraces involvement, co-leadership, and the full potential of their employees.

Karin Tenelius, Tuff’s co-founder, was one of the early pioneers of coaching in Sweden, in particular a method of coaching that focuses on mindset and ways of being as the key levers for personal empowerment and transformation. Her experiments from the nineties onwards with self-managing organizations (detailed in the book Moose Heads on the Table: Stories About Self-Managing Organizations from Sweden) led to her founding Tuff to train managers and employees alike in an adult-to-adult, empowering way of being which supports less hierarchical teams.

Today, Tuff spans a team of over 20 people in seven countries. Their approach has earned them undisputed recognition, with over 5,000 participants consistently rating their training as some of the best they’ve experienced, reflecting the company’s commitment to making a tangible impact in the workplace.

Tuff Leadership is an outstanding example of RenDanHeYi principles not only because the company embodies both decentralized authority and autonomy that enables customer-driven solutions, but even more so because the work of Tuff Leadership has enabled numerous companies to build the soft skill mussels of their organizations to enable them to thrive in a self-managed way of work.

Organizational Structure and Decentralization

Tuff Leadership thrives on a decentralized structure that champions self-management. By minimizing hierarchical layers, the company fosters an agile, responsive culture where decision-making is shared and collective leadership is encouraged. This structure allows Tuff to meet its clients' needs quickly and effectively, supporting its mission to create high-performance, empowered teams.

Tuff’s approach to remuneration is also unique. In Sweden, trainers are compensated based on the number of programs they choose to lead, offering flexibility. In other countries, compensation is agreed upon based on individual contributions and needs, and the company follows an open-books financial model, where all financial information is transparent. Surplus funds are reinvested into the company or distributed equitably to employees as bonuses.

Zero Distance to Customers

One of Tuff's most notable features is its commitment to customer-centricity. Their decentralized model empowers trainers to engage deeply with clients and make decisions based on real-time needs. This leads to trust-based relationships and radical openness with customers. Trainers are trained in Tuff's own sales approach, ensuring that customer relationships are built on trust, openness, and mutual understanding.

Rather than offering predefined solutions, Tuff coaches its clients, guiding them to develop the right solutions together. This unique approach allows Tuff to create a lasting impact across both traditionally structured organizations, like the Swedish Tax Authority, and self-managing organizations, such as Schuberg Philis in the Netherlands.

Company Culture

At the heart of Tuff’s culture is personal growth and continuous development. Trainers are not hired based on their qualifications alone but for their ability to sense what is happening "under the surface" in teams and offer impactful feedback. Tuff places a strong emphasis on training, with all trainers participating in regular Dev Days and boot camps. Certification in the Tuff methodology, which focuses on mindset and ways of being, typically takes two years to achieve.

Tuff also ensures that its employees can carve out roles that align with their talents and passions. Career paths evolve through coaching conversations, mentoring, and self-inquiry, allowing employees to shape their professional journeys. In 2023, all employees participated in The Human Element personal transformation program together.

Decision-making at Tuff is collaborative, using a process called Concordance for important decisions, while other decisions are left to the teams with agreed-upon decision-making authority. Tuff fosters a trust-based culture with rituals like Pebbles Conversations and Moose Heads, which help address micro-tensions and potential issues that could impact the working environment.

Conclusion

Tuff Leadership is a leading example of an organization that has successfully integrated self-management, decentralization, and customer-centricity to create a transformative workplace culture. Their commitment to continuous development and trust-based leadership has allowed Tuff to make a profound impact on organizations worldwide. Tuff’s work in helping companies build soft skills and foster empowerment is a testament to the effectiveness of their innovative approach.