CASE STUDY
Sanitarium Health Food
Sanitarium Health Food Company is one of Australia’s most trusted brands, committed to promoting health and well-being since 1898. But this commitment goes beyond its products—Sanitarium applies the same values-driven philosophy to developing its people. Believing that “leaders must lead from the inside out,” the company has consistently invested in executive leadership coaching and workforce development.
Through its long-standing partnership with Integrity and Values and their flagship Leadership in Action program, Sanitarium has embedded leadership development into its cultural fabric, achieving exceptional results in performance, retention, and employee morale.
The Problem
The Leadership Challenge
Darryn Woolley, a young and newly appointed manager at Sanitarium, faced a common challenge: how to lead change effectively without a proven playbook. While he sought practical management skills, he quickly realised that sustainable leadership required deeper personal development. He found value in Integrity and Values’ leadership coaching model but saw that the rest of his team also needed to share this new language and mindset. This realisation led to company-wide adoption of the program.
“We found ourselves moving towards a ‘one team’ approach. As more people across the company participated in the leadership program, the common language and behavioural standards spread, and it became more important for the business units to work together than to compete with each other.”
The Solution
A Strategic Solution: Executive Coaching with Integrity and Values
Through the Leadership in Action program, Darryn and his peers underwent transformative leadership development that went far beyond conventional management training. The program encouraged deep personal introspection, built confidence, and created alignment between personal values and professional actions.
Key takeaways for Darryn included:
- Developing emotional intelligence and clean communication
- Building trust by leading authentically
- Applying leadership lessons both at home and at work
Other leaders, like Brian Mason, experienced their own growth journeys—transitioning from managing tasks to inspiring teams. One foundational leadership tool, the “Above the Line / Below the Line” model, helped managers uncover the hidden drivers of behaviour and improve team dynamics across departments.
Processes and Outcomes
Creating Cultural Alignment Through Leadership Coaching
The wide-scale adoption of the Leadership in Action coaching program created a ripple effect throughout Sanitarium’s culture. Leaders began speaking a shared language, fostering cleaner communication, clearer expectations, and higher trust across teams.
Rather than rely on expensive external systems, Sanitarium found success by building leadership capability internally. One department had spent over $500,000 on a third-party solution that failed to gain traction. Once employees were involved in designing their own solutions—guided by leadership principles—they took ownership and delivered long-lasting results.
As Darryn puts it:
“It’s harder in the short term to invest in developing people, but the long-term payoff is exponential. The hard/easy rule applies here: do the hard work now, and it makes things easier down the road.”
Flip charts from the program still hang in their training rooms as a daily reminder of the values they’ve embedded.
The Results
A Stronger Organisation with Empowered Leaders
The ripple effect of effective leadership coaching became evident:
- More confident, capable managers
- Open communication and mutual respect across teams
- Stronger alignment with company mission and day-to-day decisions
- Higher staff retention and productivity
Darryn now embraces leadership as an evolving responsibility—balancing accountability with trust. He focuses on creating an environment where people can thrive, encouraging team autonomy while staying connected to corporate strategy.
Conclusion
Leadership Growth Drives Business Growth
Sanitarium’s journey illustrates the power of executive coaching programs in shaping resilient, self-aware, and high-performing leaders. The company’s investment in the Leadership in Action program by Integrity and Values has delivered both measurable business benefits and deep personal transformation.
As Darryn reflects, “If I can help my people be the best they can be, the results will follow.”
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