Making the transition to leadership

The transition from being a great individual contributor to being a leader of others is one of the most important and challenging career stages. If this first leadership transition does not go well, it often delivers a negative ripple effect that can dim future career prospects. The bad news is, more than 50% of first-time managers get lower performance evaluations as leaders, than they did as individual contributors. The good news is, when the transition goes well, it can produce positive career results that are amplified far into the future.

Learning to Lead is designed to help you understand the nature of this transition and develop critical people skills that often make the difference between longer-term career success or failure.

Key benefits

• Develop clear insights into your strengths and weaknesses as a leader
• Acquire confidence and tools to create vision and set direction for greater success
• Master frameworks for inspiring people and motivating them to perform better

A view from INSEAD on:

• Leadership education and training 

Featured articles

DNA of success can be taught in the UAE
(The National - 23 September 2011)
In this interview, Professor Hal Gregersen discusses ‘The Innovator’s DNA’ and how innovative thinking can be taught.

The Montessori Mafia
(The Wall Street Journal - 5 April 2011)
Hal Gregersen, INSEAD Affiliate Professor of Leadership is quoted about the number of innovative entrepreneurs who went to Montessori schools. Click here to read the article. 

Through the Learning to Lead programme participants gain the people skills required to effectively manage a team of direct reports. Participants actively engage in role play, peer feedback, case discussions and team exercises to master the many skill components needed to get tasks done through others. 

The programme focuses on 5 key managerial roles:

• Innovator: engaging others’ innovative ideas
• Director: effective goal and expectation setting
• Motivator: inspiring and motivating others
• Enabler: supporting performance and removing roadblocks
• Coach: developing individuals and building teams

This programme is specifically for people who are about to move from the individual contributor status to a position of managing others for the first time, or who have made this move within the last two years.

Participants come from all functions and units within companies, but share common circumstances such as:

• Professionals making their first transition from being an individual contributor, to managing people and having responsibility for direct subordinates
• Drawn from all professional backgrounds and across all age ranges, participants share a common desire to develop people management skills whether they are currently making the transition, on the brink of doing so, or will do so in the next two years.

Want to know more about our programme? Check out our video.

 “Great practical insights on how to improve performance of your team. Valuable personal insights on your leadership skills, weaknesses and how to improve them.”

Market Development Manager
Air France
The Netherlands 

 “This outstanding programme provided an open and friendly atmosphere in which to explore and develop my leadership abilities. It is highly relevant to a new manager."

Executive Assistant
Intellectual Property Office
United Kingdom

 “You will gain tools for managing your subordinates as well as know yourself better by attending this programme. The course involves peer feedback which is great as you learn a lot from other participants.”
 

Research Scientist
Lilly Systems Biology
Singapore 

"The Leading to Lead programme has been a mind-blowing experience for me, expanding my horizon on how to effectively lead others."

Senior Project Manager
Novo Nordisk India Private Ltd
India

Great minds don’t think alike

INSEAD’s professors represent many cultures, disciplines, and perspectives. Led by acknowledged world experts in their own particular fields, programme faculty remain intimately close to business and most are engaged in cross-disciplinary research.*

Hal Gregersen Programme Director Senior Affiliate Professor of Leadership Dr. Gregersen's  research, teaching, and consulting work focus on leading innovation, leading strategic change, and leading globally. Before joining INSEAD, Dr. Gregersen was the Donald Staheli Professor of Global Leadership and Strategy at BYU; a visiting professor at the London Business School, the Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College, Helsinki School of Economics, and Thunderbird; and a Fulbright Fellow at the Turku School of Economics. Read more...

*programme faculty may change

Dates & Fees

Participants are advised to arrive the evening before as the programme starts early in the morning.

Please click here for more information about the terms and conditions.

For full details on how to apply, accommodation, and cancellation conditions please visit the Practical Information page.

*Fee subject to change. For programmes delivered in France, VAT (19.6%) to be added for companies based in France, or for European companies where no VAT number is supplied. For programmes delivered in Singapore, GST (7%) to be added for Singapore-registered companies.