Argus Fire Protection is a trusted name in designing, installing, and maintaining fire protection systems across the UK. Former Chairman Simon Woodings shares how working with Growth Plans® and Liz Whitfield helped develop a robust leadership team, laying the groundwork for business growth and eventual sale to Mitie.
"I had experienced the benefits of coaching in my own career, so when it came time to strengthen Argus’s leadership, I knew the impact it could have. Liz’s proactive approach and local accessibility made Growth Plans® the obvious choice. Her tailored coaching transformed technically skilled managers into confident, strategic leaders, giving us the internal strength to grow sustainably.
The goal was to equip the management team with soft skills essential for leadership – communication, strategic thinking, and decision-making through a series of workshops. Many were technically capable but hadn’t been exposed to this kind of development.
We introduced One : One Coaching and Leadership Profiling to Associate Directors and newly appointed Directors to support their growth and uncover team strengths. Liz also used Insights Discovery, helping individuals better understand themselves and how they interacted with others. That self-awareness was crucial in improving collaboration and decision-making.
In our technically demanding industry, promotions often reward expertise over leadership. That creates a gap – one we had to close to scale successfully. Coaching gave our team the tools to move from operational thinking to focusing on strategy, performance, and empowerment. People stopped just identifying problems and started proposing solutions.
We were planning for the future – not fixing something broken, but preparing for growth. In the past, we’d promoted people without the right support. I was determined not to repeat that. With Liz’s help, we built a structure where leaders had both confidence and competence to thrive.
The difference was clear. Our Directors became more autonomous, with stronger accountability and clarity. That allowed me to step back from day-to-day operations and focus on strategy. We saw major improvements in collaboration, decision-making, and change management. This leadership evolution was key in preparing the business for a successful sale.
If you’re a business owner planning for growth or succession, ask yourself: how will your people behave differently if you don’t equip them to do so? Coaching with Liz helped us answer that with action – not theory – and created lasting change. "
Simon Woodings Former Chairman Argus Fire Protection Ltd (a Mitie Company)
Liz’s proactive approach and local accessibility made Growth Plans® the obvious choice. Her tailored coaching transformed technically skilled managers into confident, strategic leaders, giving us the internal strength to grow sustainably.”
Objectives
Develop internal leaders with the soft skills to match their technical expertise
Build a strategic, self sufficient leadership team
Position the business for sustainable growth and future sale
