When JSW, a large Indian conglomerate, set out to strengthen the capabilities of their first-time managers, they didn’t choose a standard training program. They chose a self-leadership journey. Across four locations, SimuRise delivered a two-part immersive experience that helped managers reflect, reset, and rise. From strategic simulations to personal alignment workshops, this program helped leaders look inward and lead outward with clarity, ownership, and confidence.
Introduction
JSW, a leading name in the industrial sector, recognized a simple truth: before managers can lead others, they must first lead themselves. To build this foundation, JSW partnered with SimuRise to design a learning experience that helps first-time managers strengthen their self-leadership muscles.
This wasn’t a one-size-fits-all workshop. It was a carefully crafted two-part journey, rolled out across four locations, designed to spark self-awareness, encourage self-excellence, and create lasting behavioral change.
Backstory
Every location brought a new group of first-time managers, and with it, a fresh layer of insight. While the core content remained the same, the outcomes evolved. Participants surfaced deeply personal blockers, reflected on their decision-making patterns, and walked away with action plans rooted in self-leadership.
The goal was clear: help every first-time manager become a better version of themselves, at work and in life.
Intervention
The self-leadership journey unfolded through two experiential workshops:
1. The Search for The Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine
A business simulation where teams faced real-time challenges in collaboration, time management, decision-making, and resource optimization. This game brought alive the essence of working smart under pressure, making strategic trade-offs, and showing up with clarity and ownership.
2. Organizational Alignment Workshop
This went deeper. Managers were asked to reflect on their internal patterns, behaviors, and misalignments. What was holding them back? What personal changes were overdue? The session helped each participant identify one internal obstacle and create a specific action plan to shift it.
Together, these workshops created a safe yet challenging space where first-time managers could learn, introspect, and reset their approach to leadership, starting with the self.
Impact
The transformation was visible.
From the simulation, managers gained confidence in handling dynamic, high-pressure situations. They learned how to collaborate more effectively, manage time with intention, and make decisions with limited resources. These weren’t theoretical skills; they were practiced and reinforced on the spot.
The deeper shift, however, came from within.
The alignment workshop triggered meaningful self-reflection. Many participants said it was the first time they had paused to examine their own behaviors at work. This awareness led to real change. Managers began showing up with more emotional clarity, better work-life boundaries, and a stronger sense of purpose.
Conclusion
The Self-Leadership Learning Program at JSW wasn’t just about building better managers. It was about creating individuals who take responsibility for their growth, lead themselves with intention, and contribute to a healthier, more resilient work culture.
By investing in self-leadership, JSW unlocked more than skills. They unlocked mindset shifts, changes that ripple through teams, departments, and the entire organization.
