Leadership Transition Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends New Managers, Recently Promoted Leaders and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 7 Nov 2026 Course code SD-LD-166

Before you join: Participants should have at least two years of professional experience and current or imminent responsibility for coordinating people, projects or operational work.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Moving into a leadership role changes the basis of success. New managers must shift from delivering personal output to achieving results through other people, often while inheriting unclear expectations, established team habits, competing stakeholders and urgent operational demands. Leaders who act too quickly without diagnosis can lose trust; those who delay direction can leave teams uncertain. The transition requires disciplined judgement about relationships, priorities, authority, performance and communication.

This course equips participants to make that shift with practical leadership methods. Participants assess their transition context using the STARS framework, conduct listening tours, build credibility, clarify expectations and establish a clear team operating model. They learn to set priorities through team charters, OKRs, RACI and meeting cadences; delegate with appropriate authority and support; give feedback; address underperformance; manage conflict; and communicate change. The course also addresses managing upwards, working across functions and handling the political realities of organisational decision-making without sacrificing trust or accountability.

Teaching combines concise instructor briefings with realistic cases, facilitated discussions, group analysis, leadership simulations and individual planning. Cases reflect common transition situations such as taking over an underperforming service team, leading a newly formed project unit, inheriting a regulated operations function or moving from technical specialist to people manager. Participants receive feedback on their choices and leave with a practical 90-day leadership transition plan, stakeholder map, team charter, delegation framework and personal development plan. The five-day course is available in classroom settings in 50+ cities or live online, with approximately 6.5 contact hours each day. Participants receive a certificate of completion.

The course is particularly suited to professionals taking on their first formal management role, moving into a larger leadership remit or assuming responsibility for an unfamiliar team, function or business unit.

What you will be able to do

  • Diagnose a new team's transition context using STARS and stakeholder evidence
  • Establish leadership credibility through listening tours, expectations contracts and one-to-ones
  • Set team direction using charters, OKRs, RACI and operating cadences
  • Delegate work through authority boundaries, checkpoints and situational leadership choices
  • Conduct feedback and performance conversations using SBI, feedforward and documented expectations
  • Lead change communications using ADKAR analysis and adoption milestones
  • Resolve conflict through interest-based negotiation and explicit decision criteria
  • Produce a 90-day leadership transition plan with measures, stakeholders and review dates

Benefits of attending

For you

  • A structured approach for the first 90 days in a new leadership role
  • Greater confidence leading former peers, inherited teams and senior stakeholders
  • Clear methods for delegating without losing visibility of delivery risks
  • Practical language for feedback, conflict and difficult performance conversations
  • A personal development plan based on observed leadership habits and priorities

For your organisation

  • Faster time to effectiveness for newly appointed managers and team leaders
  • Clearer team priorities, decision rights and accountability for delivery
  • More consistent performance management and earlier intervention on underperformance
  • Reduced disruption during restructures, role changes and leadership succession
  • Stronger retention through credible leadership, fair feedback and purposeful development

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can define the leadership shift required and establish clear expectations for a new role.

  • Individual-contributor habits that hinder accountability for team results
  • Managerial value creation through direction, coaching, coordination and talent decisions
  • First-90-day transition risks mapped using the STARS framework diagnostic
  • Expectations contract negotiated with sponsor, peers, direct reports and customers
  • Authority, accountability and decision rights distinguished before accepting inherited commitments
  • Personal leadership identity translated into observable management commitments

Participants can gather and assess evidence before setting priorities or making major changes.

  • Stakeholder mapping identifies influence, expectations, alliances and likely resistance
  • Listening tour questions surface operational pain, informal norms and trust gaps
  • Team performance diagnosis separates capability, capacity, clarity and motivation
  • STARS situation assessment distinguishes start-up, turnaround, realignment and sustaining-success contexts
  • Data sources triangulated across metrics, interviews, customer feedback and process evidence
  • Assumption logs test early conclusions before public commitments

Participants can build trust with direct reports, peers, sponsors and key stakeholders.

  • SCARF model diagnoses status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness and fairness concerns
  • Credibility built through reliable follow-through, candour and visible technical judgement
  • One-to-one meeting architecture balances check-ins, coaching, feedback and commitments
  • Stakeholder influence plans match messages, channels, timing and decision interests
  • Psychological safety behaviours invite dissent, admit uncertainty and address failures
  • Boundary-setting scripts protect priorities while preserving constructive working relationships

Participants can translate organisational priorities into clear team direction and accountabilities.

  • Team charter defines purpose, customer promise, roles, norms and measures
  • OKRs connect strategic intent with measurable team-level outcomes and key results
  • RACI matrix clarifies accountable owners, contributors, consultees and informed parties
  • Decision principles separate reversible choices from high-consequence commitments
  • Operating cadence sets meeting purpose, participants, inputs, decisions and actions
  • 90-day priorities sequenced against capacity, dependencies, risks and milestones

Participants can delegate work with clear authority, support and accountability.

  • Situational Leadership II matches direction and support to development levels
  • Delegation contracts specify outcomes, authority boundaries, resources, checkpoints and escalation
  • Task maturity assessed before transferring decisions or retaining close supervision
  • Coaching questions use the GROW model to build ownership
  • Accountability conversations distinguish missed commitments, capability gaps and conflicting priorities
  • Manager-as-player patterns replaced with coaching, review and obstacle removal

Participants can address performance issues fairly, directly and with documented follow-through.

  • SBI feedback structures observations, behavioural impact and future agreements
  • Performance expectations documented through standards, evidence and review intervals
  • Feedforward requests focus on future behaviour rather than defending past actions
  • Underperformance diagnosis separates skill, will, workload and system constraints
  • Difficult conversations prepare facts, opening statements, questions and consequence boundaries
  • Recognition practices reinforce specific behaviours linked to agreed team standards

Participants can communicate change clearly and track adoption within their teams.

  • ADKAR analysis identifies awareness, desire, knowledge, ability and reinforcement gaps
  • Change narrative links organisational purpose, local impact and immediate actions
  • Resistance responses distinguish legitimate concerns, uncertainty, loss and obstruction
  • Communication plans specify audiences, messages, messengers, channels and feedback loops
  • Transition milestones track adoption, operating performance and stakeholder confidence
  • Escalation routes address cross-functional blockers without bypassing accountable owners

Participants can resolve disagreements while protecting relationships and delivery commitments.

  • Thomas-Kilmann modes selected according to stakes, relationships and time pressure
  • Interest-based negotiation separates positions, interests, options and objective criteria
  • Conflict preparation identifies facts, assumptions, emotions, interests and desired agreements
  • Crucial conversation openings state observations without accusation or premature solutions
  • Cross-functional disagreements resolved through decision criteria, trade-offs and escalation
  • Repair conversations acknowledge impact, agree remedies and rebuild working trust

Participants can secure sponsor support and communicate effectively with senior decision-makers.

  • Stakeholder power-interest grid prioritises engagement effort and communication frequency
  • Executive briefings frame recommendations, evidence, risks, decisions and requested support
  • Managing-up contracts clarify sponsor expectations, autonomy and reporting preferences
  • Political awareness distinguishes organisational influence from manipulation and favouritism
  • Board and senior-leader communication uses concise headlines, evidence and implications
  • Bad-news escalation presents facts, options, consequences and a recommended path

Participants can maintain effective leadership routines and apply a focused first-quarter action plan.

  • Weekly reflection reviews energy, judgement, relationships, results and learning
  • Leadership journal converts critical incidents into tested behavioural adjustments
  • Personal operating system defines priorities, boundaries, routines and recovery practices
  • Peer advisory network identifies sounding boards, mentors and specialist support
  • Development plan schedules feedback sources, experiments, measures and review dates
  • Transition action plan commits first-quarter priorities, stakeholders and milestones

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. 90-day leadership transition plan
  2. Stakeholder map and engagement plan
  3. Team charter template
  4. Delegation contract template
  5. SBI feedback conversation checklist
  6. Personal leadership development plan

Who should attend

  • New Managers — need a disciplined approach to leading former peers or inherited teams
  • Recently Promoted Leaders — must establish authority and direction in an expanded role
  • Technical Specialists — are moving from expert contribution to people accountability
  • Project Managers — need stronger authority, influence and team leadership methods
  • Functional Managers — are taking responsibility for an unfamiliar department or service
  • Succession Candidates — need preparation before assuming a significant leadership appointment

Skills and tools covered

Leadership transition planningStakeholder managementTeam direction settingPerformance conversationsConflict resolutionManaging upwards

Tools and standards

STARS Framework, SCARF Model, GROW Model, RACI Matrix

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to introduce leadership models, followed by case analysis, group exercises, simulations and structured reflection. Participants work with transition scenarios involving inherited teams, cross-functional delivery, performance concerns and change communications. Simulated conversations build skill in delegation, feedback, conflict resolution and managing upwards. Facilitators provide targeted feedback and connect each method to participants' own leadership context. Individual application planning throughout the course results in a practical first-quarter transition plan and development agenda.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have at least two years of professional experience and current or imminent responsibility for coordinating people, projects or operational work. Experience as a supervisor, team lead, project manager, technical specialist or deputy manager is useful. Participants should be familiar with their organisation's goals, reporting lines and current team priorities, and should bring a current leadership transition or workplace challenge to consider during the course. No formal management qualification is required. Prior study of leadership theory, psychology, coaching or human resources practice is not required.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

Participants should have professional experience and current or expected responsibility for people, projects or operational delivery. A formal management qualification is not required, and the course is suitable for first-time managers as well as leaders taking on a new remit.

Bring a current or upcoming leadership transition, such as a new team, promotion, inherited function or difficult stakeholder situation. Participants may also bring non-confidential team goals, performance measures or organisation charts to inform their planning.

It is designed for new managers, recently promoted leaders, technical specialists moving into management, project managers and succession candidates. It is most useful when participants need to establish credibility and direction in a real role transition.

General leadership courses often focus on broad leadership styles and personal effectiveness. This course concentrates on the practical challenges of entering a leadership role, including diagnosis, inherited teams, stakeholder expectations, early priorities and first-quarter actions.

Participants create a 90-day transition plan, stakeholder map, team charter and development plan based on their own context. The methods can be applied to one-to-ones, team meetings, delegation decisions, feedback conversations and sponsor updates immediately after the course.

Each day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 and provides approximately 6.5 contact hours. Time is divided between instructor input, case work, group analysis, simulations, feedback and individual application planning across the ten modules.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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