Technical expertise gets people promoted. Leadership asks something different.
New managers are asked to motivate, give feedback, keep morale up and deliver bad news, often without ever being taught how. These two six-month journeys give them those skills one step at a time, with a coach in their corner and clear evidence of progress along the way.
L
Learning
Keeps learning instead of pretending to know it all
I
Inquiring
Asks questions before jumping to answers
F
Facilitating
Leads the hard conversations
T
Thriving
Creates the conditions for people to thrive
Journey A · The essentials of leading people
LIFT™ Leader Foundations
From expert to leader in six months. Participants learn to stay steady, connect with each person, have the hard conversations and build a team that trusts them.
Duration
6 months, one module a month
Format
Monthly sessions plus a graduation
Delivery
In person, virtual or blended · to be decided with client
For
Cohorts of 12–20 emerging and new managers
Profiling
EQ-i 2.0® at the start, DISC in Level 1
Coaching
3 × 1:1 sessions, 2 peer practice circles
Each step rises from the one before. The letter on each step shows which part of LIFT™ it builds. Select a step to jump to its detail.
Step by step
Each module answers a question new leaders are already asking, has one clear objective, and ends with a small practice to try at work.
Month 1 · wk 1
Lift-off
L
Kick-off & Discovery
“Where am I starting from?”
Objective: See your starting point clearly and set three goals that matter to you.
You’ll be able to
Understand your EQ-i 2.0® profile and your strengths
Name the three leadership habits you want to build
How
Launch with your sponsor · EQ-i 2.0® online · 1:1 profile debrief (coaching session 1)
Delivery: In person, virtual or blended · to be decided with client
Try it this month: Share one of your goals with your manager.
Builds on your Lift-off profile
Month 1
Level 1
L
Leadership by Design
“How do I stop doing everything myself?”
Objective: Make the shift from doing the work to leading the people who do it.
You’ll be able to
Describe your leadership style using DISC
Reset the relationship with former peers
Delegate a task with a clear brief
How
2 sessions
Delivery: In person, virtual or blended · to be decided with client
Try it this month: Hold a 1:1 with each team member using the three questions from the session.
Goes deeper into your EQ-i 2.0® results
Month 2
Level 2
T
EQ@Work™: Steady Under Pressure
“How do I stay calm when it’s all landing on me?”
Objective: Respond instead of react, and keep your own energy up so you can lift others.
You’ll be able to
Spot your stress triggers early
Use a reset routine in tense moments
Reframe setbacks with practical optimism
How
Session (Optimism & Resilience module) · Peer practice circle 1
Delivery: In person, virtual or blended · to be decided with client
Try it this month: Use the reset routine before one difficult meeting.
Applies your DISC style to everyday conversations
Month 3
Level 3
I
The Flexible Communicator™
“Why does my message land with some people and not others?”
Objective: Connect with each person in the way they listen best.
You’ll be able to
Build rapport quickly with NLP tools
Adapt your style to each team member
Check for understanding so nothing gets lost
How
Session · Midpoint 1:1 coaching (session 2) · Manager check-in
Delivery: In person, virtual or blended · to be decided with client
Try it this month: Adapt one regular message for two different people in your team.
Uses the steadiness and rapport from Levels 2 and 3
Month 4
Level 4
F
The Feedback Conversation: Be a PAL
“How do I give feedback, and bad news, without damaging the relationship?”
Objective: Give feedback that motivates, and deliver hard messages with honesty and care.
You’ll be able to
Recognise good work so it gets repeated
Give corrective feedback with a simple structure
Plan and deliver a difficult message
How
Session, practising on your own real cases · Peer practice circle 2
Delivery: In person, virtual or blended · to be decided with client
Try it this month: Give one piece of recognition and one piece of corrective feedback.
Moves from one-to-one skills to the whole team
Month 5
Level 5
T
Building a High Performing Team
“How do I keep morale and trust high, especially through change?”
Objective: Create the trust and psychological safety that keep a team engaged.
You’ll be able to
Assess your team with the Lencioni model
Make it safe for people to speak up
Lead a team conversation about how you work together
How
2 sessions
Delivery: In person, virtual or blended · to be decided with client
Try it this month: Run one team session using the trust toolkit.
Brings every level together
Month 6
Top floor
★
Leadership Lab & Graduation
“What have I changed, and what’s next?”
Objective: Show what you have changed and plan how you will keep growing.
You’ll be able to
Present your leadership story to sponsors
Compare your end-of-journey pulse with your baseline
Leave with a 90-day plan
How
Half-day session · Final 1:1 coaching (session 3) · End-of-journey measures
Delivery: In person, virtual or blended · to be decided with client
Try it this month: Agree your 90-day plan with your manager.
Optional add-on
Add-on
Own Your Conversation™
Led by Sharmini, TCB Collective
A one-day, practice-based workshop that fits well after Level 3. Participants complete the SoundWave® questionnaire to find their dominant communication voices, then practise switching voice to suit the moment. It is a core module of Journey B.
What runs alongside
Coaching, peer support and measures run through the whole journey, so learning keeps going between sessions.
Thread
M1
Leadership by Design
M2
EQ@Work™: Steady Under Pressure
M3
The Flexible Communicator™
M4
The Feedback Conversation
M5
Building a High Performing Team
M6
Leadership Lab & Graduation
1:1 coaching
60 minutes each
Peer practice circle
75 minutes
Line manager check-in
30 minutes with participant
Confidence pulse
2-minute self-rating
Team pulse
Direct reports, anonymous
Try-it practice
20 minutes at work
1:1 session or check-in
Group or self-led practice
Measure taken
Journey B · Communication only
LIFT™ Conversations That Lift
Six months of practice in the conversations that make or break a new leader: speaking up, adapting to others, giving feedback, delivering bad news and inspiring a team.
Duration
6 months, one module a month
Format
Monthly sessions, one full-day workshop and a showcase
Delivery
In person, virtual or blended · to be decided with client
For
Cohorts of 10–20 emerging and new leaders
Profiling
SoundWave® questionnaire, optional EQ-i 2.0®
Coaching
3 × 1:1 sessions, 2 peer practice circles
Each step rises from the one before. The letter on each step shows which part of LIFT™ it builds. Select a step to jump to its detail.
Step by step
Each module answers a question new leaders are already asking, has one clear objective, and ends with a small practice to try at work.
Month 1 · wk 1
Lift-off
L
Kick-off & Discovery
“How do I come across right now?”
Objective: Understand how you communicate today and choose what you want to change.
You’ll be able to
Complete the SoundWave® questionnaire
Pick the three conversations you most want to get better at
How
Launch with your sponsor · 1:1 goal-setting coaching (session 1)
Delivery: In person, virtual or blended · to be decided with client
Try it this month: Notice one conversation this week that didn’t go the way you wanted.
Debriefs your SoundWave® results
Month 1
Level 1
L
Own Your Conversation™
“What is my natural voice, and how does it land?”
Objective: Discover your dominant communication voices and choose how you show up.
You’ll be able to
Name your dominant SoundWave® voices
Switch voice to fit the person and the moment
Listen with more intent
How
Full-day workshop · Led by Sharmini, TCB Collective
Delivery: In person, virtual or blended · to be decided with client
Try it this month: Track which voice you use in three conversations this week.
Takes your voice work out to other people
Month 2
Level 2
I
The Flexible Communicator™
“How do I get through to people who think differently from me?”
Objective: Build rapport and clarity with every kind of person in your team.
You’ll be able to
Build rapport quickly with NLP tools
Read how others prefer to communicate
Close the gap between what you said and what they heard
How
Session · Peer practice circle 1
Delivery: In person, virtual or blended · to be decided with client
Try it this month: Re-run one conversation that went wrong, using the rapport tools.
Adds structure to your rapport skills
Month 3
Level 3
I
Think on Your Feet®
“How do I speak up clearly, especially with senior people?”
Objective: Make your point clearly and briefly, even when you are put on the spot.
You’ll be able to
Structure an answer in seconds
Handle tough questions calmly
Speak up in meetings with senior leaders
How
2 sessions · Midpoint 1:1 coaching (session 2) · Manager check-in
Delivery: In person, virtual or blended · to be decided with client
Try it this month: Make one contribution in a senior meeting using a structure from class.
Uses your voice, rapport and structure together
Month 4
Level 4
F
The Feedback Conversation: Be a PAL
“How do I give feedback that actually motivates?”
Objective: Give recognition and corrective feedback that people act on.
You’ll be able to
Recognise good work so it gets repeated
Give corrective feedback with a simple structure
Invite feedback on yourself
How
Session, practising on your own real cases · Peer practice circle 2
Delivery: In person, virtual or blended · to be decided with client
Try it this month: Give one piece of recognition and one piece of corrective feedback.
Takes your feedback skills into the hardest moments
Month 5
Level 5
F
Managing Difficult Conversations
“How do I give bad news and handle the reaction?”
Objective: Handle conflict, bad news and strong emotions calmly and fairly.
You’ll be able to
Prepare for a difficult conversation
Deliver bad news clearly and kindly
Stay steady when emotions run high
How
Session with role-play on real situations
Delivery: In person, virtual or blended · to be decided with client
Try it this month: Prepare and hold one conversation you have been putting off.
Brings every level together
Month 6
Top floor
T
Speak in Stories™ & Showcase
“How do I inspire my team, not just inform them?”
Objective: Use stories to explain change and bring your team with you.
You’ll be able to
Turn experience into short, memorable stories
Deliver a real team message at the showcase
Leave with a 90-day plan
How
Session · Half-day showcase · Final 1:1 coaching (session 3) · End-of-journey measures
Delivery: In person, virtual or blended · to be decided with client
Try it this month: Open your next team meeting with a story.
What runs alongside
Coaching, peer support and measures run through the whole journey, so learning keeps going between sessions.
Thread
M1
Own Your Conversation™
M2
The Flexible Communicator™
M3
Think on Your Feet®
M4
The Feedback Conversation
M5
Managing Difficult Conversations
M6
Speak in Stories™ & Showcase
1:1 coaching
60 minutes each
Peer practice circle
75 minutes
Line manager check-in
30 minutes with participant
Confidence pulse
2-minute self-rating
Team pulse
Direct reports, anonymous
Try-it practice
20 minutes at work
1:1 session or check-in
Group or self-led practice
Measure taken
Measures that show it’s working
Every measure is light to run and taken at the same points in both journeys, so participants, their managers and HR can all see the climb.
Confidence pulse
Months 1, 3 and 6 · participants
A two-minute self-rating on the eight skills the journey targets.
Suggested target: average rises by 1+ point on a 5-point scale
Team pulse
Months 1 and 6 · direct reports, anonymous
Five questions on morale, feedback, safety to speak up and clarity of expectations.
Suggested target: improvement on 3 of 5 questions
Manager observation
Months 1, 3 and 6 · line manager
A short checklist of observable behaviours, used at each check-in conversation.
Suggested target: visible change in 2+ behaviours
Try-it tracker
Monthly · participants
One small, real-work practice after every module, logged in a shared tracker.
Suggested target: 80% of try-its completed
Profile re-check
Month 6 · optional
EQ-i 2.0® re-assessment (Journey A) or SoundWave® reflection (Journey B) to compare with the starting profile.
Shows personal growth against the baseline
Showcase & participation
Throughout · programme team
Attendance, coaching uptake, and a skill shown live to sponsors at graduation.
Suggested target: 90% attendance and coaching uptake
A sample of the confidence pulse
Participants rate each statement at the start, the midpoint and the end. Seeing their own scores rise keeps them motivated.
1 = not yet · 3 = sometimes · 5 = consistently
I stay calm and clear when I’m under pressure.
I give feedback that motivates people to improve.
I can deliver bad news honestly and with care.
I speak up with confidence in front of senior people.
I know what keeps each person in my team motivated.
Built so nobody feels they’re drowning
Many participants will be stretched already. The journey is designed to give them a hand up, not add to the load.
One step a month
One focused session at a time, in person or virtual, with a month to apply each one. No week-long marathons away from the team.
Starts with a real question
Every module answers something they are already asking, like “what do I say when…?”
Their own situations
Participants practise on their real team members, real feedback and real bad news, so the learning transfers on Monday.
A coach in their corner
Three 1:1 coaching sessions plus peer practice circles, so nobody works it out alone.
Small try-its, not homework
One 20-minute practice between sessions, done at work, with the team they already lead.
Progress they can see
The staircase, the pulse scores and a graduation showcase let them see how far they have come.
Which journey fits?
Both journeys use the same structure, coaching and measures, so they can run side by side for different groups.
Journey A
Leader Foundations
Managers who are new to leading people, or will be soon
Teams where managers are firefighting and stretched thin
You want the full set of essentials: self, others, conversations, team
Journey B
Communication
Leaders who are settled in the role but find conversations hard
Engagement or feedback scores point to communication gaps
You want deep practice in feedback, influence and difficult news