Equipping Leaders to Thrive in a Fast-Moving Environment

The Challenge

With the on-going war in Ukraine and global pressure to invest in defence, Quantum Systems had been scaling rapidly. It doubled down on its role as a leading aerial data intelligence company with AI-driven eVTOL systems (drones) for governmental and commercial use.

With the fast growth in the last years, came a new reality: especially team leads were promoted internally without any formal leadership training. While brilliant and hard-working, they lacked leadership tools that enable them to continue developing their teams whilst taking and communicating tough decisions.

Also, leadership responsibility could no longer sit solely with the C-level - it needed to be distributed across the organization. For Quantum Systems, developing homegrown talent is non-negotiable. It is an important path to grow without losing the fast-moving “rapid builder’s” DNA that made the company successful and is helping to push boundaries today.

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The Solution

In close collaboration with the C-level team, the people team decided to move forward with a holistic leadership program that provides in-depth training to team leads while allowing senior leaders to align on common leadership practices allowing them to support direct reports.

Rising Leaders Program: Building confidence in new leaders

Team leads were invited into a year-long Rising Leaders Program designed to build, sharpen, and implement core leadership skills. With an emphasis on growing their team and becoming the voice of the company, participants learned to move beyond instinct-driven leadership and instead lead with intent.

The trainers, experienced leaders who succeeded in leadership positions in dynamic scaleups themselves, created an environment where participants could openly explore challenges while gaining practical tools that are applicable immediately.

Executive Masterclass: Aligning senior leadership

In parallel, Heads of Department, Directors, and VPs joined an Executive Masterclass. In small groups, they created a shared leadership language, ensuring alignment with the C-level and setting the tone for the rest of the company.

Cross-pollination to break silos before they form

To maintain this high-paced culture, Quantum Systems wants to deliberately prevent silo-thinking. The program was customized with cross departmental exchanges: from hardware engineering to finance, from software development to logistics; leaders from all departments shared their best practices and worked together on pragmatic approaches to leadership challenges that work in a highly dynamic environment.

Continuous feedback loop for real traction

The design was not “set and forget". Trainers worked in an ongoing dialogue with Quantum’s People team and the C-level, adjusting along the way to keep traction high. This feedback loop ensured the content stayed laser-focused on the company’s evolving needs (like the rollout of a new performance management system).

Results & Impact

By the numbers

• 87% of participants rated the content as“highly relevant.
• 9 of 10 participants would recommend theprogram to a colleague.

Immediate impact

The immediate impact is best shown by direct quotes from participants.

• “What helped me most was our (intense)discussion on how we communicate tough/unpopular decision from top-level management to our teams. I honestly changed my approach by 180° to align the interests of the company, the team and my own better.”
• “It might sound basic, but our performance management really took a leap forward by integrating SBI (Situation, Behavior, Impact) into all feedback conversations. I notice this not only for myself, but for others in the organization as well.”
• “It is just good to see what my leadership colleagues are struggling with and where and how they succeed. Especially since we are from different areas of the business, this gives us the chance to increase our understanding in this rapidly changing environment.”

Long-term impact

The impact extended far beyond the classroom. Team leads began meeting regularly, even after the 12-month program, forming dinner groups to discuss challenges and learnings. Leadership behaviors shifted too: rather than leading purely on instinct, managers began making more deliberate and structured choices.

Company Profile

Quantum Systems, operating globally and headquartered in Gilching near Munich, develops dual-use aerial intelligence systems that combine eVTOL drones, AI-driven autonomy, and edge computing. Founded in 2015, the company now operates internationally with offices in Germany, the U.S., and Ukraine, serving both defence and commercial customers. Backed by more than €300 million in funding (raising its valuation to unicorn status), Quantum Systems is scaling production and accelerating innovation in autonomous aerial systems.

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