Radical Candor: Both Caring and Challenging

How to create a Culture of Accountability

Roadmap to a high performance mindset 

When Dana Sattler, who leads talent, leadership and succession at HBF, talks about leadership development, she's quick to clarify something important: 

_"We really consider everybody in the business a leader. You don't just have to be leading people to be a leader."_

This philosophy shapes how not-for-profit health insurance provider HBF views the role of [learning and development](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/the-essential-role-of-learning-and-development). Rather than limiting development to those with direct reports, they focus on the behaviours, mindset and capabilities that create impact at every level.

#### Need for continual learning solution 

Like many members in our community, HBF wanted to move beyond the traditional approach of sending people to external events. Dana says this threw up questions like: 

_"How do we make it part of our constant everyday way of working? And so how do we take some of the learnings and what does that look like, talk about it with peers and then put it back into practice?"_

If this was the challenge, what is their goal? It's to build a genuine **growth mindset culture** where learning happens continuously, not just at annual conferences or training days.

The challenge

Dana had been familiar with Growth Faculty for years, attending various events and seeing the quality of thought leaders she was able to access. When it came time to choose a learning platform for HBF, the decision was straightforward.

_"We love it because it's not something that is going to say here's, you know, days and days’ worth of learning that you have to go offsite for,"_ says Dana. 

_"These are really applicable, really relevant right now … topics that people are really interested in, they're grappling with, and they're facing."_

She says the practical rather than theoretical sessions tackle the challenges leaders are dealing with today - from the '[AI is here](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/whatispsychologicalsafety)' disruption to [psychological safety](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/whatispsychologicalsafety).

After a successful first year, HBF committed to a two-year Enterprise agreement with 50 licenses. But they weren't just handing out access and hoping for the best.

The solution - relevant, applicable right now

HBF has been strategic about maximising their Enterprise business solutions [membership](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/#plans):

*   **Rotating licenses**: Rather than assigning licenses to the same 50 people for 12 months, they move them around based on what's available and who would benefit most
*   **Watch parties**: Bringing groups together in person to view sessions, then debriefing immediately afterward
*   **Cohort programs**: Combining Growth Faculty's three-part series with their own structured approach, including small group discussions and executive meetings
*   **Targeting content**: Pushing out relevant sessions to specific teams while also letting people explore the on-demand library independently

_"When you can bring people together to watch it as a watch party (a group of people in one room watching it together and then doing a debrief) \[it\] has worked really well,"_ Dana notes.

While the platform's versatility means people can learn from anywhere, she's found that in-person viewing creates more dialogue and helps people stay focused rather than multitasking.

How it works in practice

For HBF, proving the value of their investment matters. They've worked with their Growth Faculty account team to track both **quantitative metrics** (hours viewed, attendance numbers, what that access would cost if purchasing individual speaker sessions) and **qualitative feedback** from participants.

_"We hear a lot of the verbatim comments from our people that it's been really great. It's been really helpful, really insightful, love that they have access to the stuff,"_ says Dana. 

The usage data backs this up, with strong engagement both at live events and in the on-demand library.

The measure of success

Beyond content access, Dana highlights the value of Growth Faculty's support structure. Monthly **check-ins** with the customer success team ensure HBF stays on top of what's available. HBF’s account leads helped develop **custom ROI** reporting and are responsive to feedback about what works for their distributed teams across multiple Australian cities.

_"They're just making sure that we are aware of any programs that are coming up, big headliners that are available. And then they're also just open to feedback of what would work for us and what not,"_ Dana explains.

The Enterprise member support

The AI sessions have been particularly valuable for helping HBF's people understand disruption happening in that space, even when it's not part of their day-to-day role.

And Dana says the [recent psychological safety session](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/psychological-safety-isn-t-soft-it-s-smart-leadership) resonated so strongly that multiple teams asked to watch it together.

Dana reflects on how this ties to HBF's strategic goals:

_"We can't just keep doing things the way we've always done it. We need to give our people access to really great thought leaders... it just helps put into perspective or continue your thinking or give you new ideas that you might want to think about._ 

_"So, I think for us, it's more around that sparking a thought and innovation."_

The ability to apply to real situations

When asked what she'd tell other organisations considering Growth Faculty's Enterprise solution, Dana cites the flexibility: 

_"Being able to move them around to make sure that different people have different access at different times is really helpful. So, it's not just that a license gets assigned for a year."_

She also points to the sheer variety available at Growth Faculty -masterclasses, book clubs, series programs -giving executive teams multiple ways to engage their people.

For leaders hesitant about digital learning platforms? 

Dana says: _"Give it a try. It gives you the flexibility and you can do it from anywhere... while it's digital, you can make it more of an in-person event at times, which is great."_

Flexibility and variety

When pressed to name favourite speakers, Dana struggles to choose just one. She says the [psychological safety session with Kylie Lewis](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/psychological-safety-isn-t-soft-it-s-smart-leadership) provided practical toolkits everyone could use immediately. 

Kirsten Ferguson, who keynoted HBF's first leadership conference, also impressed with her [session on leader blind spots](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/leadership-blind-spots-lessons-from-a-scandal-and-a-success). And heavyweight thought leaders like Growth Faculty's Global Headliners [Jim Collins](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/jim-collins-roadmap-to-greatness) and [Patrick Lencioni](https://thegrowthfaculty.com/articles/patrick-lencioni-frameworks-for-high-performing-teams) delivered sessions that her teams are still discussing.

_"I don't know if I could pick just one because they're so good for so many different reasons,"_ Dana admits. _"There's such a variety out there."_

For HBF, one year into their Growth Faculty journey with two more ahead, the investment is paying off in exactly the way they hoped: keeping their people curious, exposed to fresh thinking, and ready to adapt their approach based on what they're learning.

_**Growth Faculty sincerely thanks Dana Sattler and the HBF team for being a success story in our community and sharing their learnings in this interview. Photo: Dana Sattler**_

Practical ways HBF is building a strong learning culture

Dana Sattler, GM Succession and Leadership Capability for HBF

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Practical ways HBF is building a strong learning culture

Dana Sattler, GM Succession and Leadership Capability for HBF

Keep informedStay Inspired

Keep informed
Stay Inspired