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New Manager Training: Become the Leader Your Team Believes In
60% of new managers and first-time managers fail within their first two years — not from lack of ambition, but lack of preparation. LeadWise gives you the skills, habits and 24/7 AI coaching to get it right from the start.
10 weeks · 1hr per week
AI Coach Lisa — 24/7
Trusted by managers at
Why LeadWise
The smarter way to become a great manager
Most new manager training is expensive, slow and forgettable. LeadWise is built differently.
Most first-time managers receive no structured training at all — they are promoted because they excelled as individual contributors, then left to figure out leadership on their own. LeadWise changes that with a practical, self-paced online management course that fits around your job and delivers lasting results.
Content that sticks — habits, not just skills
Our snackable 5-minute microlearning builds your knowledge; our weekly practical exercises lock in the habit. Whether you're a first-time manager or recently promoted, you don't just learn management — you start practising it immediately.
AI coaching available 24/7 — not just on training days
Real management challenges don't wait for your next workshop. Lisa, our AI-powered coach, is in your pocket whenever a tough situation arises — on a Sunday evening, before a hard conversation, or in the moment.
Less than 1 hour a week — built for busy managers
Traditional management training costs €1,500+ and takes days away from work. LeadWise fits into your schedule: 10 weeks, under an hour per week, at €299. No days out of office required.
What managers say
Real results for new managers
From first-time managers to recently promoted team leads.
★★★★★
"I was promoted into management with zero preparation. LeadWise gave me a real framework for the first time — the weekly exercises especially helped me apply things immediately with my team rather than just learning theory."
★★★★★
"The AI coach Lisa is genuinely useful. I had a conflict situation with two team members and asked Lisa at 10pm before a meeting the next morning. The advice was practical and specific — not generic management platitudes."
★★★★★
"I've done day-long leadership workshops that cost my company €2,000 and taught me less than the first three weeks of LeadWise. The microlearning format is perfect for actually retaining what you've learnt."
The Framework
The 12 behaviors of a great manager
Built from research into what separates great managers from struggling ones — covering the three areas that matter most for first-time managers and leaders at every level.
Whether you are a first-time manager learning the fundamentals or an experienced team lead looking to sharpen your skills, these 12 behaviours form the foundation of every great management career. The free self-assessment scores you on all 12 so you know exactly where to focus.
Building Relationships
Great managers earn trust before they demand results. This covers how to communicate clearly, build psychological safety, lead with authenticity and create a team that genuinely wants to follow you.
Behaviours that are relevant here are:
Authentic+
Collaborative+
Inclusive+
Communicative+
Developing Yourself & Others
The shift from individual contributor to manager is the hardest career transition there is. This helps you grow your self-awareness while actively developing the people around you.
Behaviours that are relevant here are:
Empowering+
Great Coach+
Continuous Learner+
Career Enabler+
Growing Your Business
Being liked isn't enough — you need to deliver results. This covers how to set a clear direction, hold people accountable for outcomes, and drive strong team performance without micromanaging.
Behaviours that are relevant here are:
Visionary+
Accountable+
Results-Driven+
Adaptable+
How it works
From sign-up to confident first-time manager in 10 weeks
1
Get started for free
Take our complimentary manager self-assessment and get a personalised leadership development report instantly.
2
Enroll and start learning
Enroll in the Emerging Leaders Program for €299. Start immediately — no fixed dates, no cohorts.
3
Build real habits
Weekly exercises help you apply your new skills directly with your team and turn knowledge into lasting habits.
4
Coach on demand
Use Lisa, your AI management coach, for 12 months whenever a real-world challenge needs a real-time answer.
Emerging Leaders Program
Your 10-week new manager training program
Three microlearning videos and one practical exercise every week. Less than 1 hour per week.
This first-time manager training course covers everything from handling your first difficult conversation to setting team goals, building trust and developing the people around you. Unlike generic online management courses, every exercise is applied directly with your real team — so you build habits, not just knowledge.
Week 1
Transitioning from Individual Contributor to Manager
Free
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The most important career shift you'll ever make starts here. This week sets the foundation — you'll understand what great management looks like, explore the behaviours that define it, and take your first honest look at yourself as a leader.
Week 2
Facilitating Growth through Coaching Techniques
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Great managers don't give answers — they ask better questions. This week you master the art of feedback and coaching, learning the frameworks professional coaches use to help people grow faster and solve their own challenges.
Week 3
Team Empowerment and the Growth Mindset
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Micromanagement is the silent killer of team performance. This week you discover how to empower your team through strengths-based coaching, and how cultivating a growth mindset transforms both individual and collective performance.
Week 4
Talent Management and Personal Development Planning
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Your most important job as a manager is developing the people around you. This week covers how to spot hidden talent, have career conversations that actually motivate, and build development plans that people follow through on.
Week 5
Mastering Communication for Effective Team Dynamics
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Most management problems are communication problems in disguise. This week you sharpen your ability to truly listen, deliver messages with clarity, and resolve conflict before it damages team performance.
Week 6
Building Trust and Authenticity for High-Performing Teams
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Trust is built or broken in small moments every day. This week you explore what authentic leadership looks like in practice, deepen your emotional intelligence, and learn how to create the psychological safety that unlocks your team's full potential.
Week 7
Promoting an Inclusive and Healthy Workplace
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Inclusion is not just an HR policy — it's a performance strategy. This week you learn how to build a genuinely diverse and equitable team environment, support mental wellbeing, and identify and address the unconscious biases that affect your decisions every day.
Week 8
Strategic Goal Setting and Alignment
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The best managers connect daily work to a bigger purpose. This week you learn how to craft an inspiring vision for your team, set goals that stretch without breaking, and use OKRs to keep everyone aligned on what truly matters.
Week 9
Cultivating a Culture of Appreciation and Accountability
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High-performing teams balance genuine recognition with real accountability. This week you develop the skills to celebrate success in ways that motivate, manage performance with empathy, and hold people accountable without damaging the relationship.
Week 10
Navigating Change and Driving Performance Improvement
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Change is the one constant in modern management. In your final week you build the toolkit for handling underperformance constructively, developing your own resilience, and anticipating change before it catches you off guard — setting you up for the next stage of your leadership journey.
Meet your AI coach
Learn more about Lisa
Lisa — the AI management coach who helps you think, not just act
Most management challenges happen outside of training hours — in the middle of a difficult conversation, late on a Sunday evening, or five minutes before a performance review. That's where Lisa comes in.
Lisa is not a chatbot that hands you a script. She is a trained coaching companion that guides you through your challenges using proven coaching techniques — asking the right questions, helping you see the situation clearly, and supporting you in finding your own best answer. Because the most effective managers don't just follow instructions; they develop their own judgement.
Coaches you through situations — asks powerful questions rather than just giving answers
Helps you build your own management instincts over time
Available 24/7 — evenings, weekends, whenever a challenge arises
Included for 12 months with the Emerging Leaders Program
Built on insights from hundreds of real management scenarios
Coaching, not just answers
Available 24/7
What's included
Everything included in your new manager training
One price. All tools included. Nothing sold separately.
Mobile learning app
All microlearning content available on your phone. Learn at any place and any time — no laptop needed.
Digital workbook
All exercises, key learning resources and space for personal notes — your companion throughout the program.
Leadership certificate
A digital certificate upon completion to showcase your leadership foundations to employers and your network.
12 months AI coaching
A full year of unlimited access to Lisa, your AI-powered management coach — available 24/7.
Is LeadWise right for you?
Honest about who this program is for
We'd rather help the right people than sell to everyone.
LeadWise is a great fit if…
You've recently been promoted to manager and feel underprepared
You're about to step into your first management role
You're self-directed and can commit under 1 hour per week
You want practical skills you can apply immediately — not just theory
Your company doesn't offer structured management training
You want on-demand coaching without booking expensive sessions
It's probably not for you if…
You're a senior leader looking for executive coaching (this program is for first-time and new managers)
You prefer in-person, instructor-led classroom training
You're looking for a heavily accredited MBA-style qualification
You want a live cohort experience with scheduled sessions
Simple pricing
One investment. A career's worth of leadership skills.
Traditional management training costs thousands. LeadWise gives you more — for a fraction of the price.
Emerging Leaders Program
€299
incl. VAT · one-time payment · 12 months access
✓10-week self-paced eLearning program
✓3 microlearning videos + 1 exercise per week
✓Digital workbook with all exercises & resources
✓12 months unlimited access to AI coach Lisa
✓Digital leadership certificate on completion
✓Start immediately — no fixed dates
FAQs
Questions about the new manager training program
The Emerging Leaders Program takes ten weeks to complete. Each week you receive three short microlearning videos and one practical exercise, all fully self-paced and accessible via our mobile app. Most managers spend less than one hour per week on the program — making it easy to fit around a full-time management role.
LeadWise is built specifically for new and first-time managers — people who have recently been promoted into a management role or are preparing to make that step for the first time. It's open to everyone, regardless of industry, company size or background. If you manage a team of one or a team of twenty, the skills covered in the program will be directly relevant to your day-to-day challenges.
Every day. The Emerging Leaders Program is fully self-directed — you begin the moment you enroll and learn entirely at your own pace. There are no fixed cohort start dates, no scheduled live sessions and no deadlines. You can start on a Monday morning or a Sunday evening — the choice is yours.
No problem at all. Your enrollment gives you 12 months of full access to all program content, exercises and the AI coach Lisa. There is no pressure to complete it within the 10-week window — life as a new manager is busy, and we have built the program with that reality in mind.
LeadWise combines three things that most online learning platforms don't offer together: structured weekly microlearning designed specifically for new managers, practical exercises you apply directly with your real team in real time, and a 24/7 AI management coach for personalised guidance on your specific challenges. It is a system for building management habits and developing your own leadership judgement — not just a library of videos to passively watch.
Everything you need to build a strong management foundation: the full 10-week eLearning program (30 microlearning videos and 10 practical exercises), a digital workbook containing all exercises and key learning resources, a digital leadership certificate upon completion, and 12 months of unlimited access to Lisa, our AI-powered management coach. There are no hidden costs or upsells — one payment covers everything.
Lisa is LeadWise's AI-powered coaching companion, available 24/7 through the mobile app. Unlike a chatbot that simply gives you answers, Lisa coaches you through your management challenges using proven coaching techniques — asking powerful questions, helping you see the situation from different angles, and supporting you in finding your own best course of action. This approach builds your management instincts over time, rather than creating dependency on a tool. Lisa is included with your program for a full 12 months.
No prior management experience is required. The Emerging Leaders Program starts from the foundations — the mindset shift from individual contributor to manager, the core behaviours of effective leadership, and the practical skills you need from day one. Whether you have been managing for a few weeks or are still preparing for your first role, the program will meet you where you are.
Yes — many participants expense LeadWise through their employer's Learning & Development or training budget. At €299, it is well within the typical threshold for individual training expenses in most organisations. If you need a formal invoice or company billing, contact us at Contact us and we will take care of it promptly.
Yes. We offer group licensing and tailored solutions for HR teams and L&D departments looking to upskill multiple managers at once. Whether you are onboarding a cohort of newly promoted managers or building a leadership development programme for your organisation, we can help. Visit our Organizations page or contact us directly to discuss your needs.
Yes. Upon completing the Emerging Leaders Program you receive a digital leadership certificate that you can share on LinkedIn, add to your CV or present to your employer. The certificate confirms that you have completed a structured, expert-designed management training program — a meaningful credential for any first-time manager looking to demonstrate their commitment to professional development.
The Emerging Leaders Program is currently available in English. The content has been designed to be relevant across different cultures and business environments, and is used by managers across Europe and beyond. If you are interested in a version of the program in another language for your organisation, please get in touch and we will let you know about upcoming language options.
Free resources
Latest from the LeadWise learning guides
Practical articles for new managers — written by leadership experts, free to read.
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