Leadership Development Circles

𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐲. In today's disruptive, fast-paced world, detailed analysis and old best practices often fall short. Leaders are left feeling frustrated and isolated, grappling with challenges that no one prepared them for. I've seen it firsthand: the brilliant leader who feels they must have all the answers, bearing the weight of their role alone. This isolation is the enemy of innovation and resilience. So, where can leaders go to get real-time support and guidance to overcome these challenges? The answer often lies within their own organization, hidden in plain sight. The transformative power of 𝐏𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬 - small, facilitated cohorts where leaders learn from one another. This isn't another top-down training program. It's a structured, peer-driven process that delivers profound results because it's built on genuine human connection and shared experience. Through my work facilitating these circles, I've observed three non-negotiable pillars that make them a success: 1. 𝐏𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲: The facilitator's first and most critical job is to build a confidential, non-judgmental space where leaders can be vulnerable and authentic. This is the bedrock of everything that follows. 2. 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠: Each session, a leader brings a real challenge. The group then engages in a process of deep listening and powerful questioning, helping to reframe the issue and uncover new paths forward. You're not just getting advice; you're developing empathy and new ways of thinking. 3. 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐬𝐝𝐨𝐦: These circles intentionally bring together leaders from different functions, sites, and backgrounds. This diversity breaks down silos and smashes echo chambers, bringing fresh perspectives that can reveal blind spots and new opportunities you might never have considered on your own. Leaders feel heard, recognize their struggles are shared, and build a network that fuels both personal resilience and organizational performance. Your growth as a leader doesn't have to be a solitary journey. True, sustainable development happens in a community. You are one conversation away from a new perspective. 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐞 Diane for more frameworks on high-performance leadership. 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 this to your network to spread the idea. #PeerLearning #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveCoaching #PeerCoaching #LeadershipCircles #TalentManagement #FutureOfWork #LinkedIn

Leader development doesn't happen just because they show up in an office. Leadership development is a key challenge for many firms, including a lot of hybrid and remote-first organizations that I work with. Managers don't know how to lead distributed teams, leaders who are under pressure to deliver and don't have time to learn, and gaps in who gets mentored -- and who doesn't. Michael Hudson and a team from Hudson Institute of Coaching have a case study on how they helped a global consulting firm build an environment that drove development into how people worked. Highlights below, and you should really read the details -- it's well structured and thought through: 🔸 Structured peer learning: Curated 6 person groups, diverse in experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives; "learning pods that might never have formed organically in a physical office." 🔸 Embedded development: Weekly 15 minute practices to build habits, continual learning and reinforcement. 🔸 Expert-facilitated sessions: Monthly structured forums for group learning and peer conversations. Expert coaches can help you get deeper, faster. 🔸 Competency-Focused Curriculum:  Targeted specific leadership skills, especially around issues like belonging among diverse populations and in distributed teams. Check out the article, linked in comments. Also, I'd personally recommend Hudson Institute of Coaching. I found their LifeForward program to be immensely impactful, and know a number of incredible certified coaches who have been through their program. #Leadership #Development #Coaching #Coach #FutureOfWork

What happens after a leadership offsite or workshop is over and everyone goes back to their desks? What’s next? In late November I got a WhatsApp message from Michael Trautmann. He and Swantje Allmers, CEO of New Work Masterskills (NWMS), are running a highly successful leadership program at a global German company. And they were looking for a way to build on the positive momentum they created. “We can imagine offering a WOL for Leaders (10 weeks) as part of the program. We develop it together. What do you think?” I said yes immediately. ** The concept ** Way back in 2017, Katharina Krentz and I created a method for leaders while she was at Bosch. We focused on improving a leader’s digital skills and used a reverse mentoring format, pairing junior people with leaders. It was useful, but leaders had more pressing issues. Working with a truly enlightened team at the company who commissioned the new program, led by Sascha Schmid, Dörte Wickenhagen, and Niko V., we decided our program shouldn’t try to mold participants into being a particular kind of leader. Rather, we designed a way they could each become, through practice together with their peers, the kind of leader they aspire to be. ** WOL for Leaders ** This new method has a similar format as other WOL methods, though with a completely different purpose and content. > A Personal Goal: In WOL for Leaders, each participant defines their own personal leadership vision—What kind of leader do they want to be?—and works throughout their Circle to bring that vision to life. > Small Groups: Circles consist of four to five leaders. > A Structured Curriculum: Each week there are stories, exercises, and discussions with themes including motivation, performance management, innovation, and team management. There are also actions to take in between meetings. > Practice Over Time: Over three months, ten “leadership conversations” gradually shift from Self-Leadership to One-on-One Leadership to Team Leadership. Then we offer the Circle structured formats for continuing to meet and support each other. By the end, each participant has worked on their personal leadership vision, practiced skills to bring that vision to life, and created a trusted peer support network that will help them long after the leadership program has ended. ** What’s next? ** Some companies, like our first pilot, will use WOL for Leaders to complement their existing leadership programs. Others will use it as a replacement for individual coaching or external executive networks, or to make leadership development accessible to a much wider audience than they could reach otherwise. In all of these cases, we customize the method, tailoring it so it includes skills that are important to them and aligns with their goals and values. There are over 50,000 books telling you what leadership is. In WOL for Leaders, you build skills and relationships to become the kind of leader *you* aspire to be. #workingoutloud #WOLforLeaders

Organizations talk a lot about developing future leaders. Too often, that development looks like sending someone to a class and hoping it sticks. Real leadership development doesn’t work that way. The Leadership Exchange was built to close that gap. It’s a mentoring and coaching program designed for leaders and high-potential employees who need more than just classroom training. They need context, perspective, and space to grow while they’re doing the work. Participants are paired with experienced mentors, supported through structured coaching and peer dialogue, and guided through real leadership moments that matter to their role and organization. . What we see consistently: Stronger leadership confidence Increased engagement and retention Leaders who think beyond their functional silo Leadership isn’t developed in a classroom. It’s developed over time, in relationship, with intention. If leadership development is on your radar for the year ahead, I’d welcome a conversation about what meaningful development could look like inside your organization.