Discovering the Heart of Seventh Wave with Darren Booth
Leadership development is a journey that transforms individuals, teams, and entire organisations. At Seventh Wave, this journey is crafted with passion and precision, I sat down with Darren Booth, the director of The Seventh Wave to hear more about his career, what makes him so passionate about leadership training, and stories of companies he has worked with over the past 8 years.
Firstly I found that Darren’s commitment to leadership development is deeply rooted throughout his career trajectory, he started out working for retail giants such as, Arcadia Group, BHS, Ikea and Apple. Starting his career at 16, he quickly climbed the ranks as management saw his passion and commitment. However, managing people proved to be a different challenge altogether! “I knew how to run my stores to make a profit, I knew how to schedule my team, I knew how to create incredible customer interactions but I wasn’t sure how to best manage the people I had on my team”.
This realisation led him to seek out ways to be a better manager for his teams, beginning with Stephen Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Successful People” which he actually borrowed from the local library on CD and listened to during his commutes. “I was good at my job, but managing the people was a different challenge,” Darren recalls. “What I learned all that time ago set me up for the rest of my career.”
“The Seventh Wave Programme helps individuals become better managers, leaders, and ultimately, better individuals.”
Darren told me that the Seventh Wave Programme, created by his brother Nick, offers managers within businesses the tools to overcome similar challenges to the ones Darren faced. “Many people find themselves promoted because they’re amazing at their jobs, only to struggle with managing the team they’re now responsible for.” Darren explained. “The Seventh Wave Programme is an incredible way of giving individuals that have found themselves in a similar position a huge amount of understanding of themselves, of how to communicate to others, and how to plan their time, to allow them to be better managers and ultimately better leaders”. The Seventh Wave programme aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of oneself, effective communication techniques, time management skills, and more. Participants emerge not only as better managers and leaders but also as improved individuals.
By the time participants reach Workshop 6, the benefits of the program are crystal clear—both in their personal and professional lives. Darren and Nick have been fine-tuning and perfecting this program for eight years, and the impact it’s had is nothing short of amazing.
Investing in the Seventh Wave programme is a no-brainer for any business. Employees who understand themselves better, communicate more effectively, and work well with their colleagues create significant business improvements. “When you run a business, your people are your most valuable asset. Businesses that invest in their people reap significant rewards, the ability to scale their business.” Darren explains. “But the reason we’re there is for the individuals themselves, we want them to become more competent, more emotionally intelligent, and more self -aware. The models we use are straightforward, easy to grasp, and immediately applicable, meaning that participants, regardless of their role or tenure, can quickly use their learning.”
This approach leads to leaders who are not only competent but also emotionally intelligent and self-aware—qualities that make a real difference.
Take, for example, a leader from the North of the UK. He started as a junior manager in a growing business and, thanks to Seventh Wave, is now the Operations Director of a company that has quadrupled in size. It’s all thanks to the confidence and self-awareness he gained. Initially battling imposter syndrome, he’s now a networking pro and a mentor to others, sharing the knowledge he picked up along the way.
Or, a senior manager in the NHS who completely redesigned her life after the six workshops, achieving a much better work-life balance. Personally, she now enjoys improved physical and mental health, as well as stronger family relationships by managing her time more effectively. And professionally, her team has grown and multiple team members have been promoted after her guidance and coaching. “Both of their journeys show the significant and lasting impact of effective leadership development,” Darren notes.
“Emotional intelligence is a key element of our training, enabling leaders to build stronger, more compassionate relationships.”
After exploring the workshops, I can see that emotional intelligence is a cornerstone of Seventh Wave’s training. It begins with the first workshop where they focus on Insights Discovery, during this session participants learn how different behaviours and preferences affect their relationships. This insight helps leaders tweak their communication style to meet others’ needs. Techniques such as application of learning questions, active reflection and the “stop, start, continue” method encourage ongoing self-assessment and growth. “The ability to adjust your style in the moment for the communication preference of the person you are talking to, whether they need care and attention, to be told directly, some more detail, or are likely to be included in the building of an idea, I believe, is a key element to what makes a manager into a leader”. By fostering a deep understanding of oneself and others, the programme helps leaders build stronger, more empathetic relationships both professionally and personally.
Staying ahead of the curve in leadership is key for the Seventh Wave team. While some of their models date back to the 60s and 70s (because classics never get old!), they’re always on the lookout for the latest trends through social media, books, and podcasts. “We are always sharing the books we’re reading or the latest podcast we have listened to. Each of us has different perspectives on leadership so we all bring something different to the table ” Darren shares. “Interestingly, we are looking at a couple of futuristic ideas to take the learning experiences we can offer to our customers around the world to the next level”.
“Sitting back and watching the results of our program, is the main reason why I do what I do and why I’m so passionate about what we do. The impact it has on people is wonderful and significant and extraordinary.”
Measuring the success of the sessions involves both quantitative and qualitative approaches. “We have application of learning suggestions and questions at the end of each workshop in our learning journals,” Darren explains. “This encourages individuals to demonstrate how they’ve applied their learning. They can share their experiences with their manager between sessions, with their peers who are in the training room with them, or even with their own teams if they’ve discovered something they think will be particularly helpful. At the end of the sessions we use ‘stop, start, continue’ so they start something new, stop something that isn’t very good for their growth, or their personal brand, and then celebrate something that they’re already doing well, that they can continue to. ” This approach ensures that the skills and insights gained are actively integrated into their daily roles over time. “We built the Seventh Wave program to last six months in order to bring about a sustainable change for each individual. If we come in for one day, the learning they take away is quickly forgotten, by allowing time to reflect and for each person to use the training between sessions and then report back, that really fosters a sustainable change within a business.”
Statistically, Darren shares that improvements are seen in retention, issue escalation, sales and engagement. But that personally, success is gauged through participants’ presentations at the end of the workshops. These presentations reveal specific examples of growth, vulnerability, and the application of the new skills they have gained during their 6 months of workshops. “Hearing stories of improved relationships, more settled and capable managers, and reduced stress levels is immensely rewarding,” Darren says. These outcomes affirm the significant impact the programme has and reinforces the passion for the work being done.
“The Seventh Wave Programme is not just about enhancing management skills; it’s about transforming individuals. It helps them become better leaders, communicators, and, ultimately, human beings.”
This interview with Darren Booth took place on 23rd July 2024