Purpose and Empathy Leadership Training Course

Duration 5 days 10 modules · 33 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Department Managers, Team Leaders and others
Fee from USD 1,100 KSh 95,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-LD-319

Before you join: Participants should have experience supervising staff, leading project teams or influencing colleagues across functions.

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

Leaders are expected to deliver results while maintaining trust, fairness and commitment during change, pressure and uncertainty. When people cannot see why decisions matter, or feel unheard by their manager, engagement weakens, conflict becomes personal and discretionary effort declines. Purpose-led, empathetic leadership provides practical ways to connect organisational priorities with meaningful work while responding to people as individuals rather than resources.

This course develops the judgement and communication skills required to lead with clear purpose and informed empathy. Participants examine how personal values, team purpose and organisational strategy should align; communicate decisions that affect people; hold respectful conversations under pressure; and create conditions for psychological safety, accountability and inclusion. They apply frameworks including Golden Circle, SCARF, Nonviolent Communication and SBI feedback to realistic leadership situations such as restructuring, service failures, performance concerns and cross-functional conflict.

Teaching combines concise instructor briefings, facilitated discussion, sector-relevant cases, role-play conversations, peer feedback and structured reflection. Participants work on a current leadership challenge throughout the course and leave with a written purpose statement, stakeholder empathy analysis, communication plan, feedback scripts and a 90-day leadership application plan. The course concludes with an individual review of the behaviours, routines and measures needed to sustain purposeful and empathetic leadership.

It is designed for managers who already supervise people or lead projects, programmes, functions or change initiatives. It is particularly relevant where leaders must retain trust while setting demanding expectations, making difficult decisions or coordinating teams with different priorities.

What you will be able to do

  • Articulate a leadership purpose statement linked to organisational priorities and team contribution
  • Apply Golden Circle to communicate the rationale behind priorities, decisions and change
  • Use stakeholder empathy mapping to identify needs, concerns, motivations and likely responses
  • Conduct psychologically safe conversations using inquiry, active listening and Nonviolent Communication
  • Deliver developmental and corrective feedback using the SBI feedback model
  • Diagnose trust and threat responses through the SCARF model
  • Translate team purpose into measurable commitments, decision principles and operating routines
  • Produce a 90-day purpose and empathy leadership application plan

Benefits of attending

For you

  • A clear leadership purpose statement for personal and team communication
  • Greater confidence handling emotionally charged workplace conversations
  • Practical language for explaining difficult decisions without false reassurance
  • Structured methods for giving feedback that protects dignity and accountability
  • A 90-day plan for building trust through observable leadership habits

For your organisation

  • Clearer line-of-sight between organisational strategy, team priorities and daily work
  • More consistent management conversations during change, pressure and uncertainty
  • Earlier identification of employee concerns, resistance and stakeholder risks
  • Stronger psychological safety for reporting problems, learning and constructive challenge
  • Better retention and performance through fairer, more respectful people leadership

Course modules

10 modules over 5 days

Participants can define a leadership purpose that connects personal values, team contribution and organisational priorities.

  • Purpose, values and strategic direction distinguished within leadership decisions
  • Golden Circle applied to clarify why, how and what
  • Personal leadership values translated into observable management behaviours
  • Team purpose statements linked to customers, citizens or beneficiaries
  • Purpose drift identified through conflicting priorities and unmanaged trade-offs
  • Decision principles established for consistent choices under operational pressure
  • Authenticity balanced with organisational responsibility and professional boundaries

Participants can connect strategic priorities with meaningful, accountable team commitments.

  • Strategy-on-a-page interpreted for team contribution and stakeholder value
  • Line-of-sight mapping connects roles, outputs, outcomes and organisational purpose
  • OKRs framed with meaningful objectives and measurable key results
  • Cascading priorities without creating conflicting or unrealistic commitments
  • Decision rights clarified using the RACI responsibility assignment matrix
  • Trade-off conversations framed around mission, risk, resources and impact
  • Team rituals reinforce purpose through meetings, recognition and review

Participants can distinguish empathy from agreement and use it to improve leadership judgement.

  • Cognitive, emotional and compassionate empathy differentiated for leadership situations
  • Empathy without over-identification or avoidance of difficult management action
  • Perspective-taking separates observed facts from assumed motives and intentions
  • Stakeholder empathy maps capture pains, needs, gains and concerns
  • Power, status and identity considered when interpreting employee responses
  • Boundaries maintained when personal disclosures arise during workplace conversations
  • Compassionate responses paired with clear expectations and agreed follow-through

Participants can conduct listening conversations that reveal concerns, needs and workable options.

  • Active listening uses paraphrasing, summarising, silence and accurate checking
  • Open, probing and reflective questions matched to conversation objectives
  • Ladder of Inference interrupts assumptions before reaching leadership conclusions
  • Facts, interpretations, feelings and requests separated during tense discussions
  • Nonverbal signals observed without treating them as definitive evidence
  • Curiosity maintained when receiving criticism, resistance or emotionally charged feedback
  • Conversation summaries confirm shared understanding, ownership and next actions

Participants can build conditions for candid contribution, challenge and learning within their teams.

  • Psychological safety distinguished from comfort, consensus and reduced accountability
  • Edmondson's framing, invitation and response behaviours applied to team meetings
  • SCARF domains diagnose social threats affecting collaboration and performance
  • Leader fallibility statements encourage early reporting of errors and risks
  • Constructive dissent invited through pre-mortems, red teams and rotating challengers
  • Blame-free incident reviews separate learning, accountability and corrective action
  • Trust repaired through acknowledgement, restitution, consistency and transparent follow-up

Participants can explain change decisions with clarity, empathy and credible commitment.

  • Change narratives connect strategic rationale, human impact and practical actions
  • Stakeholder analysis identifies influence, concerns, information needs and likely resistance
  • Message maps structure headline, supporting points and evidence for communication
  • Knowns, unknowns and decision dates communicated without false certainty
  • Losses acknowledged before presenting benefits, opportunities or future options
  • Two-way communication channels capture questions, rumours and emerging concerns
  • Manager cascades align messages while allowing local context and dialogue

Participants can deliver feedback and recognition that are specific, respectful and action-focused.

  • SBI feedback describes situation, behaviour and observable impact precisely
  • Feedforward converts performance gaps into future-focused behavioural commitments
  • Recognition links contribution to purpose, standards and stakeholder outcomes
  • Corrective conversations address repeated behaviour without labelling personal character
  • Expectations, support and consequences documented after performance discussions
  • Bias checks test whether feedback standards are applied consistently
  • Follow-up meetings review evidence, progress, barriers and agreed adjustments

Participants can prepare and lead difficult conversations while preserving dignity and accountability.

  • Conversation preparation identifies purpose, facts, emotions, risks and desired outcomes
  • Nonviolent Communication structures observations, feelings, needs and clear requests
  • Interest-based negotiation separates positions from underlying needs and concerns
  • De-escalation uses pacing, acknowledgement, pauses and grounded language
  • Defensive reactions met with inquiry rather than counterattack or withdrawal
  • Boundary-setting language addresses unacceptable conduct and repeated non-compliance
  • Agreements record actions, support, review dates and escalation routes

Participants can make and explain decisions in ways that strengthen inclusion and procedural fairness.

  • Procedural justice examines voice, consistency, neutrality, respect and explanation
  • Inclusive meeting design distributes airtime, challenge and decision participation
  • Affinity bias, confirmation bias and attribution bias tested in people decisions
  • Diverse perspectives sought before finalising assumptions, options and risk assessments
  • Accessibility needs considered when selecting communication channels and working arrangements
  • Conflict styles assessed using the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument
  • Decision rationales document criteria, evidence, dissent and review points

Participants can establish leadership routines and measures that sustain purposeful, empathetic practice.

  • Leadership habits prioritised through impact, feasibility and personal accountability
  • Weekly reflection prompts examine intent, impact, assumptions and repair needs
  • One-to-one agendas combine performance, wellbeing, development and purpose
  • Pulse questions monitor clarity, trust, voice and workload concerns
  • Behavioural indicators track listening, feedback, recognition and follow-through
  • Peer accountability partnerships support practice between formal leadership reviews
  • Ninety-day application plans specify actions, measures, stakeholders and review dates

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

What you take back to work

  1. Leadership purpose statement template
  2. Stakeholder empathy map
  3. Purpose-led change communication plan
  4. SBI feedback conversation planner
  5. Psychological safety team checklist
  6. 90-day leadership application plan

Who should attend

  • Department Managers — need to align people behind priorities while maintaining trust
  • Team Leaders — need practical methods for listening, feedback and difficult conversations
  • Programme Managers — need to sustain commitment across competing stakeholder interests
  • Change Managers — need to communicate disruption with clarity, respect and credibility
  • HR Business Partners — need to coach managers through people-centred leadership challenges
  • Senior Specialists — need to influence colleagues without relying on formal authority

Skills and tools covered

Purpose-led communicationEmpathic listeningPsychological safetyFeedback conversationsStakeholder empathy mappingTeam purpose alignment

Tools and standards

Golden Circle, SCARF model, SBI feedback model, Nonviolent Communication

How the course runs

Training methodology

The course uses short instructor briefings to introduce leadership models, followed by case analysis, small-group discussion, communication simulations and peer observation. Cases reflect common situations in public services, banking, NGOs and corporate functions, including restructuring, performance concerns and contested decisions. Participants practise framing purpose, listening for underlying needs, responding to resistance and giving feedback. Individual reflection and application planning connect each method to a current workplace responsibility. Trainer feedback focuses on observable language, assumptions, listening choices and follow-through actions.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have experience supervising staff, leading project teams or influencing colleagues across functions. They should be familiar with routine management activities such as setting objectives, allocating work, conducting one-to-ones or contributing to performance discussions. The course assumes willingness to reflect honestly on personal leadership habits and to discuss realistic workplace situations. No prior study of psychology, coaching, organisational development or formal leadership models is required. Participants do not need to hold a senior management title, but the content is most useful when they can apply it to current people and stakeholder responsibilities.

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

You should have experience managing people, leading project work or influencing colleagues. No formal leadership qualification or psychology background is required.

Bring a current leadership situation involving change, team performance, stakeholder tension or a difficult conversation. You will use it to develop practical communication and action plans.

It suits managers, team leaders, programme managers, change leaders and senior specialists with people responsibilities. It is most useful for those who must combine demanding expectations with respectful leadership.

The course concentrates on linking purpose, empathy, psychological safety and accountability in daily management decisions. It teaches specific communication frameworks rather than focusing primarily on leadership styles or formal coaching practice.

Participants create a purpose statement, stakeholder empathy map, feedback planner and 90-day application plan. These can be used in team meetings, one-to-ones, change briefings and performance conversations.

The five days contain approximately 32.5 contact hours, combining instructor input, case work, group exercises, simulations and individual planning. Modules progress from purpose and empathy foundations to communication, accountability, inclusion and sustained application.

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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