In this interview, Andrii Orikhovskyi, Learning & Development Manager at Growe, provides an in-depth look into the “Let’s Grow” leadership program. He discusses the program’s objectives, its structured approach to fostering leadership skills, and its clear benefits to participants aiming to enhance their managerial and business expertise.

Could you share more details about the Growe Leadership Program “Let’s Grow” and its learning process?

The internal “Let’s Grow” project was designed to equip our team with the tools and resources to advance their careers. We strongly believe that everyone should have the ability to broaden their own professional horizons, and Growe is honored to offer that to our employees.

As you can imagine, leadership progression is an ever-evolving journey. It is a never-ending story filled with twists and turns as we navigate this fast-changing world. I love to be the part of this dynamic environment which is incredibly fascinating, it means that days are never rerepeting themselves and it gives us the opportunity to bring the new spectrum of development for our teams within the company.

To support our leaders in their growth and their professional journey, Growe offers three levels of Leadership programs:

Strategic. This level is accurately designed to empower C-level employees and help them achieve shared organizational goals.

Advanced. Based on the Harvard Business School approach, and offers real-life scenarios centered around tailored business management strategies to help our senior leaders achieve their full potential.

Essential. This is primarily for those just starting on their team leader journey or for those who will soon be promoted to a managerial position that covers basic management functions.

What is the program’s main goal for the company, and what are the objectives for individuals who apply to it?

A leader in a company may be compared to a conductor in an orchestra. An orchestra consists of different sections — strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion — each playing its own role to create a perfect symphony. Similarly, a team consists of diverse individuals with different skills, ambitions, and traits — both personal and professional. The conductor, like a leader, doesn’t play an instrument but plays an integral role in ensuring that every section collaborates harmoniously, creating something more significant than you can even begin to imagine, which is not an easy task.

The “Let’s Grow” program embodies this orchestral dynamic. Its main goal is to equip leaders with the skills needed for team management and business activities while creating a collaborative community where team members can maximize their potential and strengths.

How do you balance leadership and business skills in the training process?

Throughout the training process, we prefer to approach leadership with a variety of different methods. For example, our leadership program “Let’s Grow. Advanced” is based on the Harvard Business School model for organizing leadership, consisting of three main focus areas: Managing Yourself, Managing Teams and Managing Businesses.

The first focus of the program is to learn and get to know who you are as a person, as a leader, and as an expert. That is why it is called Managing Yourself. In this block, our participants take part in a variety of training programs related to leadership mindset, management styles, emotional intelligence, personal typology by DISC, self-presentation, personal effectiveness and resourcefulness. Basically, it is everything about YOU.

The second focus is Team Management, where participants take part in programs that emphasize key team management strategies, particularly spotlighting how best to manage teams in uncertain conditions, feedback, difficult conversations, motivation, and conflict management. Managing Teams is designed to help our leaders develop the skills needed to lead effectively and collaborate with peers and top management.

In conclusion, we focus on Managing Businesses. This aspect of the leadership program is aimed at the strategic and operational skills needed to manage an organization. In this area, our participants learn more about every aspect of the business machine — from finance, investment, and operations to design thinking, marketing, and much more. We cover every single aspect of running a business.

This blend of topics allows us to create a leadership program that strikes the perfect balance between soft and hard skills, ensuring every leader, like a conductor, has the tools to bring out the best in their orchestra.

Why does Growe place such a strong emphasis on educational initiatives like this program? In your opinion, why should iGaming companies prioritize the development of Learning and Development strategies?

Education is the cornerstone of development, both in a personal and professional sense. I cannot emphasize enough how important learning and development programs are for helping team members excel and broaden their horizons.

Unlike programs tailored to specific scenarios, Growe’s leadership programs offer our candidates a broad range of skills and tools to navigate the ever-changing landscape of the iGaming industry — while also offering insights that can translate to other areas of their careers.

We have found that by providing our team with access to an extensive hub of knowledge, this can help them better navigate complex business scenarios and also help them take the necessary steps to become true team leaders.

How do you measure the success of the Leadership Program? Are there specific metrics you track?

Creating a leadership program that is effective is much easier said than done. There are a lot of components that you must consider. A successful leadership program should align with the company’s strategic goals as well as an individual’s professional goals. By measuring outcomes, we can ensure that the program develops leaders who can drive innovation, improve team performance, and contribute to long-term business success. At the same time, measuring the success of a Leadership Program involves tracking both quantitative and qualitative metrics.

At Growe, there are a number of metrics that we consider, including:

• Surveys & Feedback Forms: Pre- and post-program (surveys to assess expectations, satisfaction, and perceived growth).
• SAT: This test shows the program’s satisfaction rate among participants.
• Attendance & Completion Rates: here, we measure engagement and completion rates across all sessions.
• The ratio of value received to time spent learning helps to measure the program’s effectiveness for our employees
• 360-Degree Feedback — Collect feedback from peers, managers, and direct reports on leadership behaviors.

When employees see that leadership programs lead to career growth and personal development, they are more likely to engage actively and apply what they’ve learned.

Success metrics also serve as a powerful tool for gaining leadership buy-in for future initiatives.

To assess career progression and program impact, we evaluate promotion and retention rates — analyzing how many graduates advance to the next level of leadership.

In terms of performance reviews, we place particular emphasis on checking participants’ activity and discussing their progress throughout the program; identifying key areas where employees can improve can lead to better engagement and a broader understanding of their own professional outlook. Without measurement, leadership development remains subjective. Tracking key metrics — such as promotions, performance improvements, and leadership impact — enables companies to make informed decisions about scaling, adjusting, or redesigning the program.

At Growe, we are extremely happy to lead the way in leadership development. By opening doors for future progression, we empower our team with the skills to advance their careers and deepen their expertise within Growe.