Leadership programs
Programs such as BRIDGE to Leadership and Foundations of Leadership give learners basic to advanced skills to lead in today’s workplace — from new supervisors to advancing managers — and help align leaders with our values.
Explore pathways
Connecting people with development.
These are starting points, not prerequisites. Find the audience that sounds most like you, see which offerings connect to it, then confirm the right mix with your manager or HR business partner.
Leadership development overview
Four groups of development at Sonoco.
Targeted programs
Crucial Conversations, Crucial Influence, Crucial Accountability, Getting Things Done, The Power of Habit, and Financial Acumen give leaders techniques to improve their influence and impact.
Assessment programs
The Korn Ferry 360 and Develop to Lead help participants gain valuable knowledge about themselves and their team members, and turn it into a focused development plan.
Mentorships and Sonoco University
Mentorships pair learners with more senior or established leaders across Sonoco, while Sonoco University adds self-paced modules, Packaged Learning, Skill Benchmarking, and the AI Simulator.
The development journey
Growth happens one confirmed step at a time.
Development at Sonoco rarely starts with a single enrollment. It usually starts with a conversation about where you are now, followed by the offering that fits that moment. The matrix below shows which offerings are commonly connected to each audience, so you can arrive at that conversation prepared.
Audience selector
Which offerings connect to which audience.
Choose the audience that sounds most like you or your team member. A listing means the offering is commonly connected to that audience in the development guide. It is not a statement of eligibility — access is confirmed through the routes below.
Individual Contributor
6 offerings are commonly connected to this audience.
- BRIDGE to Leadership
- Crucial Conversations
- Crucial Influence
- Crucial Accountability
- Korn Ferry 360
- Mentorship
Bring one or two of these to your next development conversation. Your manager or HR business partner confirms availability and timing.
View the full audience matrix (reference)
| Audience | BRIDGE to Leadership | Foundations of Leadership | Develop to Lead | Crucial Conversations | Crucial Influence | Crucial Accountability | Financial Acumen | Emerging Leader Program | Korn Ferry 360 | Mentorship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Contributor | BRIDGE to Leadership applies | Not listed | Not listed | Crucial Conversations applies | Crucial Influence applies | Crucial Accountability applies | Not listed | Not listed | Korn Ferry 360 applies | Mentorship applies |
| New Supervisor | BRIDGE to Leadership applies | Not listed | Not listed | Crucial Conversations applies | Crucial Influence applies | Crucial Accountability applies | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Mentorship applies |
| New College Graduate | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Crucial Conversations applies | Crucial Influence applies | Crucial Accountability applies | Not listed | Emerging Leader Program applies | Not listed | Mentorship applies |
| Mid-Level Growing Leader | Not listed | Foundations of Leadership applies | Not listed | Crucial Conversations applies | Crucial Influence applies | Crucial Accountability applies | Financial Acumen applies | Not listed | Korn Ferry 360 applies | Mentorship applies |
| High Potential | Not listed | Foundations of Leadership applies | Develop to Lead applies | Crucial Conversations applies | Crucial Influence applies | Crucial Accountability applies | Not listed | Not listed | Korn Ferry 360 applies | Mentorship applies |
Accessibility
How each group of offerings is accessed.
- Foundations of Leadership, Develop to Lead, Financial Acumen, Crucial Conversations, Crucial Influence, Crucial Accountability
- Prescribed during the Talent Review process or by an HR business partner.
- Emerging Leader Program
- New college graduates. Ask Talent Management for current availability and timing.
- Korn Ferry 360
- Prescribed by the HR business partner.
- BRIDGE to Leadership, Getting Things Done, The 5 Languages of Appreciation, The Power of Habit, Train the Trainer
- Prescribed by manager or HR business partner.
- Sonoco University: Packaged Learning, Skill Benchmarking, AI Simulator
- Self-prescribed, manager prescribed, or HR business partner prescribed.
Individual growth
New skills, brighter opportunities.
Self-directed learning fits between meetings and shifts. Pair one short module with a real task this month, and you will feel the difference before the quarter ends.