from Tech Experts 

to People Leaders

A Training Program that Empowers Technical Specialists to Lead with Confidence and Humanity

Photo by redcharlie

How to transform to Human-Centered Leadership? 

Imagine a group of highly skilled tech leaders, experts in their fields but new to the challenges of leadership. While their technical expertise is unquestioned, the shift to leading people presents a different challenge - one that requires not only new skills but also a boost in confidence to inspire and lead with impact.

Recognizing this need, the organization embarked on a journey to transform these tech specialists into effective, human-centered leaders. The goal? To empower them with the tools and mindset needed to excel as people leaders, creating meaningful connections and driving performance within their teams.

What we delivered for the client


- Client needs sessions

- Self-Facilitation Kit

- Facilitator brief

- Optional: Coaching

Learning Design Kit for Internal Facilitators:


- 2-hour group session

- Mission to complete

- 1-hour virtual peer review

- People leader review/coaching session

The Journey in an image

Outcomes

Key Learning Outcomes:

Enhanced Leadership Skills:

Improved awareness of individual leadership styles and the ability to engage teams effectively.

Increased Team Engagement:

Positive feedback from team members regarding changes in leadership approaches and team dynamics.

Established Peer Support Network:

Creation of a supportive community through virtual peer review circles, fostering collaboration among participants.

Clarity on Performance Goals:

Actionable insights into performance and growth metrics, enabling leaders to set clearer objectives for their teams.

Initial Confidence Boost:

Increased confidence in leadership capabilities following the first sprint.


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Long-Term Impact:

Sustainable Leadership Development:

Ongoing application of newly acquired skills leading to sustained improvements in leadership effectiveness over time.

Cultural Shift Towards Psychological Safety:

Gradual establishment of a culture that prioritizes psychological safety, encouraging open communication and risk-taking.

Improved Team Performance:

Long-term enhancement in team performance metrics, driven by engaged leadership and a focus on growth and development.

Retention of Top Talent:

Higher retention rates of skilled employees due to improved leadership support and a positive work environment.

Continuous Learning Culture:

Development of a culture of continuous learning and development, with leaders committed to ongoing growth and improvement.

Positive Organizational Impact:

Measurable improvements in overall organizational performance and employee satisfaction linked to the leadership development program.

Methods Tools Techniques

Effective Meetings methods, Agile methods, Energy Levels theory and methods, Positive Psychology, Non-violent Communication, Behaviour Sorting, Delegation techniques, Global Listening, Empowering Questions, Coaching techniques, NLP, Reflection techniques, giving & receiving feedback, Emotional Intelligence, Team Forming Stages, Team Dynamics tools, Inclusion theory and techniques, SCARF, Polarity Management.

Duration of the Programme


5 - 7 monhts

Each learning sprint may take 3 - 4 weeks. 

The programme is designed for 5 sprints. 

Team Structure

Core Team:

1 Lead Designer, 1 Client Partner

Extended Team:

Client: 2 Leaders, 1 internal Experienced Facilitator

Our Learnings


ALIGNING WITH INTERNAL MODELS AND LANGUAGE

In a training program that focuses on personal and human-centered topics, we realized the importance of deeper alignment with client stakeholders. Specifically, we learned that matching our approach to the organization’s preferred terminology and internal models, especially those promoted by Learning & Development teams, is crucial. This alignment helps foster psychological safety in sessions and facilitates a smoother transition between existing practices and the new methods introduced during the program. By doing so, we ensure participants feel supported and the change process feels seamless.