Case Study: Building Leadership Excellence at Historic Royal Palaces

In heritage organisations, leadership isn’t just about preserving the past – it’s about inspiring people to create extraordinary visitor experiences while navigating constant change. For Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), custodians of some of Britain’s most treasured historical sites, effective leadership makes the difference between merely maintaining these iconic locations and truly bringing history to life for generations to come.

Leadership skills aren’t innate – they must be cultivated with care and intention. When managers lack the confidence to have crucial conversations, when communication breaks down, or when feedback remains unspoken, the entire organisation suffers. Conversely, when leaders are equipped with practical tools for navigating difficult discussions, they create environments where innovation thrives, conflicts are resolved constructively, and staff feel genuinely valued.

It’s this recognition of leadership’s transformative potential that prompted Historic Royal Palaces to partner with Engage Leadership in 2013, beginning a journey that continues to strengthen leadership capability across their remarkable organisation.

Historic Royal Palaces and Engage Leadership are collaborating to enhance leadership capabilities across Britain’s most iconic heritage sites. This enduring partnership has evolved to include bespoke 180° feedback processes and the delivery of “Quality Conversations” training to approximately 50-60 managers across 11 cohorts at multiple sites including the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, and Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland.

A Comprehensive Approach to Leadership Development

The partnership with HRP has combined targeted feedback with practical skill development. The bespoke 180° feedback process provided leaders with clear insights through colleague interviews, comprehensive reports with development recommendations, and optional coaching sessions. This created a foundation for targeted development that addressed both individual and organisational needs. Building on these insights, the “Handling Difficult Conversations” module was implemented to support HRP’s 2024 Resolution policy, designed to empower managers in finding collaborative solutions to workplace challenges.

The Challenge

For HRP’s leaders, effective communication presents unique challenges. With teams spread across multiple historic sites, each with its distinct character and operational demands, creating consistency in leadership approaches is complex. Managers must balance the preservation of centuries-old traditions with modern visitor expectations and staff development needs.

Many leaders found themselves in a difficult position. They possessed deep subject expertise and operational knowledge but lacked confidence in handling interpersonal challenges. Team conflicts would simmer unaddressed, performance issues might be overlooked, and valuable feedback remained undelivered – all because managers weren’t equipped with the right conversational tools.

As one Team Leader shared: “I often find myself avoiding these challenging scenarios altogether. Having strategies to overcome that initial reluctance would be incredibly helpful.” The implementation of HRP’s new Resolution policy in 2024 created an additional urgency—managers needed practical skills to bring this policy to life through constructive, solution-focused conversations.

The Solution: Practical Skills in Historic Settings

The January 2025 session, delivered by Marie Coombes, exemplifies the module’s impact. This one-day course featured role-playing exercises, dispute mediation methods, and feedback techniques tailored to HRP’s specific context.
Marie’s delivery style was a critical factor in the module’s success. Described by participants as “engaging and personable,” she created a safe, supportive environment where managers felt comfortable practising new skills. Rather than lecturing from the front, Marie facilitated active learning through guided discussions, realistic scenarios, and targeted feedback.

The approach balanced theory with immediate application. For each concept introduced, participants had multiple opportunities to practise, receive coaching, and refine their approach. The training rhythm alternated between whole-group instruction, small-group exercises, and paired practice – keeping energy high and ensuring varied learning experiences throughout the day.

What made this training particularly effective was its delivery across multiple historic sites, allowing for location-specific challenges to be addressed while minimising travel time and enriching the experience through the historic surroundings.

The Impact: Transformed Conversations

The January session received an impressive 4.8/5 average rating, with the pace rated as “Just Right” by 100% of participants. One participant reflected that he had “learned to be less superficial,” while another gained “confidence and better understanding to help peers when they need to have these conversations.” The PIN template provided not just a framework but a sense of security – knowing there was a proven path to follow allowed participants to focus on the conversation itself rather than worrying about structure.

Beyond the Training Room

The TCM Group’s approach ensures learning continues beyond the training day through six-month refresher sessions and Project Impact Meetings with HRP leadership. The newly confident managers have become informal coaches to their peers, creating a ripple effect of improved communication throughout the organisation.

Ready to transform leadership in your organisation?

“Handling Difficult Conversations in a Positive Way” is just one of 14 powerful modules in our comprehensive Modular Leadership Development Programme. Each module addresses specific leadership challenges and can be delivered as a standalone experience or combined to create a bespoke development journey. Our modular approach offers unparalleled flexibility – allowing you to select the precise learning interventions your leaders need, delivered in formats that work for your organisation. The benefits include consistent leadership approaches, increased manager confidence, enhanced team performance, reduced workplace conflict, and sustainable leadership development.