Developing Leaders to Drive Diebold Nixdorf's Transformation
Following a major business transformation, Diebold Nixdorf partnered with DDI to build leaders ready to navigate change, strengthen performance, and support long-term growth.
Results with DDI
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95% Participant Engagement
of program participants reported being engaged in their roles
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8 Targeted Competencies
with improved leadership effectiveness
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87% Career Growth
of program participants expressed greater interest in growing their careers at the company
The Need
Rebuilding Leadership for a New Chapter
As a global leader in financial and retail technology, Diebold Nixdorf (DN) helps many of the world's leading financial institutions and retailers deliver seamless customer experiences. And following a major business transformation, the company knew its future success would depend on more than products and technology. It would require leaders equipped to guide the organization through change. Partnering with DDI, Diebold Nixdorf created DN Ascent to prepare directors and senior directors for expanded leadership responsibilities.
Building Business-Driven Leadership Capabilities
Restructuring transformed more than DN's organizational chart—it changed what leadership looked like.
As the transformation journey progressed, directors and senior directors took on responsibility for translating strategy into action while leading larger, more distributed teams. At the same time, the company recognized that the leadership behaviors that had contributed to its past success wouldn't be enough to support its future. Leaders needed to think more strategically, navigate ambiguity, develop talent, and create alignment across the business.
Recognizing leadership as a critical driver of business success, DN made leadership development a strategic priority. Together with DDI, the organization designed DN Ascent to build the capabilities leaders needed to support the company's transformation while reinforcing a shared leadership culture across the enterprise.
What got the company here won't get it there.
Steven Potts, Global Director of Talent Management & Learning at Diebold Nixdorf
The Solution
A Leadership Experience Connected to the Business
DN Ascent was intentionally designed around the company's business priorities rather than a standalone learning curriculum.
Working with DDI, DN aligned the program to its leadership competency framework and broader Talent Journey, ensuring participants developed the behaviors most critical to the organization's future. Executive leaders helped shape the experience by identifying the capabilities leaders needed to drive growth, strengthen leadership effectiveness, and build a high-performance culture.
The four-day immersive program combines DDI leadership courses with executive-led discussions, business simulations, and collaborative learning. Members of the CEO Staff facilitate sessions on topics such as financial acumen, leadership expectations, and the company's competency framework, giving participants direct insight into the business while reinforcing the behaviors expected of senior leaders.
Participants also work together on a multi-day business simulation, applying strategic thinking, collaboration, and executive presence in a realistic business scenario. Feedback from each cohort has continually shaped the program, helping DN refine the experience as business needs evolve.
From Leadership Development to Enterprise Commitment
From the outset, DN positioned DN Ascent as more than an HR initiative.
Business leaders, HR, and executive stakeholders helped shape the program before launch, ensuring it addressed the organization's most pressing leadership needs. Executive sponsorship remained visible throughout the experience, with CEO Staff members serving as facilitators, speakers, mentors, and evaluators. Their involvement reinforced the importance of leadership development and created meaningful opportunities for participants to connect directly with senior leadership.
The program also became a central part of DN's Talent Journey, connecting leadership development with key components of the talent lifecycle to help prepare future leaders across the organization.
I have been more tuned into how I show up each day as a leader and how to effectively empower my team... This has allowed me to engage them to grow more rather than taking on the tasks myself.
DN Ascent Participant
The Result
Measurable Leadership Growth and Impact
DN partnered with DDI to evaluate the program's impact using a multi-rater assessment that measured leadership behavior before and after the program through feedback from participants, managers, direct reports, and HR stakeholders.
The results demonstrated meaningful progress across both leadership capability and employee engagement.
After participating in DN Ascent:
- 87% reported greater interest in growing their careers at Diebold Nixdorf.
- 87% felt more valued as employees.
- 95% reported feeling engaged in their roles.
Leadership behaviors improved across all eight targeted competencies, with participants, managers, and direct reports all reporting stronger leadership effectiveness. Participants applied what they learned by improving communication, coaching, delegation, goal setting, and team collaboration—changes that stakeholders linked to stronger team performance and productivity.
Preparing Leaders for What’s Next
Today, DN Ascent serves as Diebold Nixdorf's flagship leadership development experience and an important part of its long-term talent strategy. By aligning leadership development with business priorities, executive sponsorship, and measurable behavior change, Diebold Nixdorf is building leaders equipped to navigate change today while preparing the organization for what’s ahead.
Learn more on how to build stronger leaders through change leadership.
Have a Question?
Frequently Asked Questions
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How do you build a leadership development program that supports business transformation?
The most effective leadership development programs start with business strategy—not course content. Organizations should identify the leadership capabilities needed to achieve strategic goals, define the behaviors leaders must demonstrate, and align learning experiences to those priorities. Programs are more likely to drive measurable business impact when they combine executive sponsorship, practical application, and ongoing reinforcement to help leaders apply new skills on the job.
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What leadership skills are most important during organizational change?
During organizational change, leaders need more than technical expertise. Critical leadership skills include leading through ambiguity, communicating with clarity, building trust, coaching and developing others, making strategic decisions, and aligning teams around shared goals. Developing these capabilities helps leaders maintain engagement, improve performance, and guide teams through periods of uncertainty.
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How do organizations measure leadership behavior change?
Leadership behavior change is best measured using multiple sources of feedback rather than course completion alone. Organizations often combine leadership assessments, multi-rater feedback, manager observations, employee feedback, and business metrics to evaluate whether leaders are applying new behaviors. Measuring behavior change over time provides a clearer view of leadership development's impact on performance and organizational outcomes.
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How can leadership development strengthen an organization's leadership pipeline?
Leadership development strengthens the leadership pipeline by preparing high-potential leaders for greater responsibility before critical roles become vacant. By aligning development with succession planning, competency models, and business priorities, organizations can build leadership readiness, improve internal mobility, and create a deeper bench of leaders equipped to support future growth.