How NOT to build Leaders!

How NOT to build Leaders!

This is not an uncommon question. It’s one that I wonder about quite frequently. Leadership development has hundreds of theories attached to it, and more are flowing in every day.

We have the usual ideas right in front of us. Great mentors and coaches build the roadmap. Lived experiences clarify our thinking, and eventually, with a mix of external and internal influences, we get the rare asset of a leader.

In today’s edition of the Top newsletter, though, I want to talk about something else: five clear

ways leaders are not developed.

#1 By taking up a leadership role

Do you learn by grabbing the driver’s wheel in a vehicle? No, right? So why has leadership suffered from this assumption for so long? Since time immemorial (I mean the last few centuries), people have been promoted to leadership roles with only a firm handshake in the name of support and nothing much else.

This goes on until the Peter Principle strikes, and one is promoted until they are no longer promotable. Still, most professionals assume that since they were great as individual contributors and their technical proficiency is top-notch, it’s only a matter of time before they ace as leaders.

#2 Through training programs that cover everyone and everything

Congratulations, you are leading a team now! Here’s your ticket to the all-in-one leadership development program that 205,843,753 managers have undergone before you and 875,882,385 will do after you.

Guess what? It won’t help you with any of the problems you are facing right now. Does your team not take you seriously because you are young? We did not consider that while designing, but here’s a cheeky module on effective communication as a manager.

Did that sound annoying? That’s how most managers are welcomed onto the leadership side. Companies often rely on generic leadership training programs, assuming they’ll create uniform, effective leaders. In reality, leadership development must be tailored to individual strengths, weaknesses, and contexts.

#3 By being great at what you do

Most managers believe that since they are great ICs, they’ll start churning out teeny tiny copies of themselves as soon as they grab the reins of a team. But is a great IC equal to a great coach? To be honest, the transition is not so neat in most instances. Instead, you end up with managers without the skills needed to coach and train others effectively.

Overemphasis on technical or strategic skills leads to neglect of crucial soft skills like emotional intelligence, communication, and empathy, which are vital for effective leadership.

#4 By imitating other leaders

Many people believe that the key to success lies in copying the success of others. “That’s how we did it back in our times. Why can’t you?” It’s a common enough question thrown at new leaders by seniors who forget that times and people change.

Sources of inspiration are great; they might be the last source of hope in challenging situations. However, they cannot be the end of all leadership development, even if the examples are present in real life, just next door in a glass cabin.

Every leader is unique, and that’s not said just to make one feel special. It’s because circumstances and experiences differ. Leadership development needs to consider the context to be effective.

#5 By collecting certificates and conference stickers

You can attend tens of conferences, and none will be impactful until you apply what you learn about leadership during those days. And yet, many leaders are chasing the tags that come with leadership certificates and conferences. At times, even the organizations encourage this.

While formal education is valuable, assuming that degrees or certifications alone create good leaders overlooks the importance of practical experience and ongoing learning. Most leadership development actually

And that’s not the end of the list. There are more concerns out there about what’s assumed to be effective leadership development.

Which ones irk you the most? Share it with me, and I might just solve it with Risely.

Let’s bring change: one feedback at a time.

We’ve built Candor as a tool to share anonymous feedback from employees with team managers. It’s free. Give it a spin here and start connecting.

Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper

Deeksha SharmaFeb 19, 20257 min read
Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper Have you heard of leadership development programs that include horses? If not, you are…

Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb

Deeksha SharmaFeb 18, 2025
Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb Emotions are what make us human. But that’s also the part we…

Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast Leadership isn’t a destination – it’s a journey filled with twists, turns,…

Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn In this conversation with John Horn, a practitioner of the servant leadership style…

What is Immersive Learning? A New Era in Education

Avantika AnandFeb 15, 2025
In this blog, you’ll learn what is immersive learning and how it is changing training, increasing engagement, and influencing the…

Read this if you think you can run The Bear

Read this if you think you can run The Bear

What if your favorite mom-and-pop deli is transformed into something high-end super quick? We are talking of The Bear, Carmy, and his perfectionism.

With its typical stressed-out portraits of Jeremy Allen White, the show has made noise for all the right reasons – awards, accolades, critical and public appreciation. Yet, here’s a question I found myself asking (to be honest, I saw the same thing later on social media too): Why can’t Carmy relax? It’s a sandwich shop. It’s not a Michelin-star restaurant.

Until I realized I couldn’t relax either. I wanted Michelin stars in my sandwich shop, too.

Let’s rewind.

Carmy comes from a great, even enviable, background with standards, expectations, and all that jazz that his new team couldn’t care less about. Unsurprisingly, that’s how most managers approach their new teams. Their backgrounds are clean, too, with impeccable performances and impacts as ICs and long-drawn plans and strategies to make it big that the team just doesn’t care about.

Why? It’s just another day, and they’d rather keep up with the tasks than you.

It’s a common mistake that new managers make. We show up with the same high standards we once attained as an IC and expect the team to match them. But here’s the deal: your team is not you. Your team members are also not clones of you.

As Carmy takes over, he insists on precise techniques, exact measurements, and high-quality ingredients, even for seemingly simple dishes like sandwiches. The existing staff, accustomed to a more relaxed approach, struggle to adapt to Carmy’s exacting standards, leading to conflicts and stress.

That’s how it goes in workplaces, too. The new manager is often left wondering why their team can’t match up while the team thinks about why the manager is so pushy.

So, what’s the way out?

Let’s steal our lessons from the problem case itself.

  • First up, clear communication matters. Carmy and the team struggled because neither side was talking it out well. But they did, and with shared ideas and aspirations, the situation eased. One major lesson for the manager was that you need to set and define expectations in clear terms for the valuable people on your team. Otherwise, their expertise would not be utilized efficiently. Do you do that? Let’s test. (it’s a free assessment)
  • Second, take things one step at a time. No one enjoys uprooting methods built over months and years, especially when they have no idea why the change is happening. If you want to switch things up with your team, go slow. Take actions one step at a time, explain and answer questions, and demonstrate the positive impact to win approval for the changes. This ties in with step 1.
  • Work with the team, not above them. When things change, you need to be on the ground, not just observing but executing and experiencing the change. This way, you can support through the transition toward higher performance standards. If some guidance or help is needed, be free to provide it, like you might have seen Carmy take impromptu lessons on cooking techniques or ingredients.

There’s one more frustrating part. You will say you did it all – you talked, trained, and traveled a mile in their shoes, yet it led nowhere. That’s because change takes time. When you are taking over a new team or even trying to change within yours, you will have to give time. Plus, nurture the early growth you witness with appreciation and recognition.

Let’s bring change: one feedback at a time.

We’ve built Candor as a tool to share anonymous feedback from employees with team managers. It’s free. Give it a spin here and start connecting.

Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper

Deeksha SharmaFeb 19, 20257 min read
Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper Have you heard of leadership development programs that include horses? If not, you are…

Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb

Deeksha SharmaFeb 18, 2025
Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb Emotions are what make us human. But that’s also the part we…

Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast Leadership isn’t a destination – it’s a journey filled with twists, turns,…

Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn In this conversation with John Horn, a practitioner of the servant leadership style…

What is Immersive Learning? A New Era in Education

Avantika AnandFeb 15, 2025
In this blog, you’ll learn what is immersive learning and how it is changing training, increasing engagement, and influencing the…

Change begins with you!

Change begins with you!

Can you change things alone? Everyone who has been somewhat disappointed with circumstances has thought this can’t happen.

But here’s the thing: Change begins with you.

These are Mahatma Gandhi’s words. However, in today’s newsletter, we will examine another interpretation of this concept.

Let’s jump right in.

Jeff Hiatt, the CEO of Prosci and a thought leader in change management, came up with the idea. He has developed a framework called the ADKAR for changing things from the individual level.

Let’s take a closer look at each of these components, along with an example:

Awareness

Awareness is about understanding why change is necessary. Here, you need to recognize the reasons for change and the risks of not changing. The model provides a step-by-step framework to guide you through the change process.

Suppose a new tool is available for your profession. Should you learn it? What are the pros and cons? Answering these questions is essential before you take action.

Desire

Desire represents your motivation and choice to support and participate in the change. Here, you will recognize barriers preventing progress in any ADKAR element and develop ideas to address them by thinking critically.

Moving forward with the earlier example, you will need to think of what impact learning this tool can have. Would it make work easier and simpler?

Knowledge

The third step, Knowledge, involves understanding how to change. It encompasses the skills, training, and education needed to implement the change.

For instance, you will need to look for training courses and mentors to learn a new tool. You might also need to think of your schedule and bandwidth – can you squeeze the learning in? Is it still worth it?

Ability

The second last component of the ADKAR framework, ability, is the actual implementation of skills and behaviors required for the change. It involves putting knowledge into practice.

To learn a new tool, you need a computer to run the program. You also need some earlier know-how to understand the functions better. Without these, the process would not be effective.

Reinforcement

The last step, reinforcement, focuses on sustaining the change over time. It involves embedding the change into the organization’s culture and practices. For you, it means turning the desired behaviors into habits.

As we went with the example of learning a new tool, it could mean using it regularly, finding new opportunities to apply your new learnings, and trying out more use cases.

The last step is critical in ensuring that the previous four are impactful. Without reinforcement, most learning slips away quickly, dropping below 1/5th within a week.

Hence, don’t just do it and forget it. Keep revisiting.

You can apply the ADKAR model to a wide range of changes, from small process improvements to large-scale organizational transformations.

Addressing the human side of change helps ensure that transitions are successful and sustainable. After all, imposed changes are not well-received and create trouble for organizations.

The bottom line is that making changes is a human and participative process. Even if you are doing it all alone, don’t impose it; think through it. The ADKAR Model is not a linear, one-time process. You will need to revisit certain stages as new challenges or information arise.

Change is an unstable process, after all.

Let’s bring change: one feedback at a time.

We’ve built Candor as a tool to share anonymous feedback from employees with team managers. It’s free. Give it a spin here and start connecting.

Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper

Deeksha SharmaFeb 19, 20257 min read
Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper Have you heard of leadership development programs that include horses? If not, you are…

Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb

Deeksha SharmaFeb 18, 2025
Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb Emotions are what make us human. But that’s also the part we…

Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast Leadership isn’t a destination – it’s a journey filled with twists, turns,…

Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn In this conversation with John Horn, a practitioner of the servant leadership style…

What is Immersive Learning? A New Era in Education

Avantika AnandFeb 15, 2025
In this blog, you’ll learn what is immersive learning and how it is changing training, increasing engagement, and influencing the…

When ‘Cooked’ Doesn’t Mean Dinner: A Manager’s Guide to Gen Z-Speak

When ‘Cooked’ Doesn’t Mean Dinner: A Manager’s Guide to Gen Z-Speak

Are you unsure of what your team is talking about? Or yapping about, as they say?

It’s not surprising. In fact, we recently learned that the inability to understand what the team is feeling is the second most common challenge of new managers.

Almost every fourth person in the workplace is now from Gen Z – the irritants, the path-breakers, and, in the latest slang term, the “brats.”

They are entering more rooms and earning spots on crucial tables, but for most managers, Gen Z’s language remains a mystery. If you disagree, please explain the difference between “I am cooked” and “I cooked” in response to this newsletter. Trust me, it’s not as simple as it seems.

What’s your take?

Language is certainly an evolving asset of human civilization. We’d love to present some aspects, including formal emails, with their sincerity, but there must be some that we can let go of.

For instance, when I started my professional journey nearly two decades ago, there was a strong emphasis on showing respect. You had to address someone as “Sir” or “Mam.” We have turned around on this entirely in many organizations where using first names is encouraged.

Of course, even this trend did not come about without resistance. If you think back in time, you would be able to spot people who were uncomfortable with this change, and some remain the same. Yet, in general, we have reached a consensus that respect does not need to be shown explicitly in every address.

The change in communication that Gen Z brings is in the same direction in some ways. For example, the term “brat” originally did not have a positive meaning. But in this iteration, being a brat is about being bold and rebellious.

Udemy’s research, Gen Z at Work: Understanding the Next Generation, took a deeper dive into this, proclaiming that Gen Z is bringing a “Brat” mindset to the workforce; it’s about challenging common stereotypes associated with their generation and remaining true to their values in both their career and learning journeys.

Do we have a stalemate?

But not everyone is so welcoming toward the bratty attitude.

For many managers, Gen Z is the worst thing that happened to their workplaces—with their constant demands for feedback, flexibility, and freedom at work. While the feeling is mutual, there is pushback between the two generations that are not ready to meet each other halfway and continue to communicate in different tongues.

The concerns and movements are not new. Baby boomers raised the same ones as we Millenials entered neat workplaces and cluttered them with our fancy new ideas.

On the other hand, the subjects of our conundrum, Gen Z themselves, feel quite misunderstood at work (two-thirds of them agreed with the sentiment in the Udemy study.) Again, the major reason here is the intergenerational difference in how we communicate when there’s little effort to bridge the gap between all these sides.

Surprisingly, the same respondents appeared willing to learn and adapt to the communication styles of others to a great extent, which goes against their bratty perception, so there might be a case to be made for prejudice against the younger generation of workers. It presents an opportunity for us to take charge of the situation as managers and put the spotlight on building soft skills across the ages.

After all, rigidity hurts, especially as we get older. Plus, learning is a great way to connect with a generation emphasizing skill development and personal growth as its biggest ambitions.

Gen Z is here to stay; it’s time we connect rather than just observe.

Let’s bring change: one feedback at a time.

We’ve built Candor as a tool to share anonymous feedback from employees with team managers. It’s free. Give it a spin here and start connecting.

Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper

Deeksha SharmaFeb 19, 20257 min read
Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper Have you heard of leadership development programs that include horses? If not, you are…

Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb

Deeksha SharmaFeb 18, 2025
Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb Emotions are what make us human. But that’s also the part we…

Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast Leadership isn’t a destination – it’s a journey filled with twists, turns,…

Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn In this conversation with John Horn, a practitioner of the servant leadership style…

What is Immersive Learning? A New Era in Education

Avantika AnandFeb 15, 2025
In this blog, you’ll learn what is immersive learning and how it is changing training, increasing engagement, and influencing the…

How to ask for help as a manager?

How to ask for help as a manager?

I am more than sure that at some point, you needed help and held back because of one thought: “What if they think I am weak?”

The question is a legitimate one entirely. There’s plenty of power politics and unofficial messaging in workplaces that can make or break your next promotion. But the inevitable fact is that it ruins more than helps anyone.

A number of managers cannot access support because asking for it:

  • Entails shame and embarrassment
  • Can potentially ruin relationships
  • Might impact someone’s judgment of them
  • Means you are not good at your job

All of these problematic scenarios eventually lead to a world where people managers, who happen to have some of the most variable challenges, are left to fend for themselves without much holding them up.

The numbers of burnout and stress among managers are not surprising after all. And keeping these in sight, it’s no wonder that management jobs are losing their charm.

Many teams assume a great IC will magically transform into a brilliant manager. But more often than not, it does not play out that way. Below, I am sharing some ideas to help you get unstuck. Because getting stuck is inevitable, instead of thinking, fearing, and shaking in despair, let’s figure out the possibilities.

#1 Understand your role

A manager is not a super-IC. A manager has the hard and soft skills of their relevant area and the people skills to manage performance, people, and productivity for their team. So, take a hard and deep look at your JD. If your company does not have a clear-cut way to define the scope of a manager’s work, be the change maker and build it with your seniors.

That leads us to how to do work.

❌Just complete what is to be done.

✔️Make sure your team completes valuable tasks efficiently.

What should you ask your senior for? A clear job description stating the scope and objectives you own as the team manager.

#2 Build your support system, intentionally

The myth of the self-sufficient manager needs to end. As you’re expected to support your team, you need your support structure. Think of it as your professional safety net:

  • Find a mentor outside your direct reporting line
  • Connect with peer managers facing similar challenges
  • Join manager communities (internal or external) where you can share experiences
  • Build relationships with key stakeholders before you need their help

What should you ask your senior for? Introduction to potential mentors and permission/support to join manager development programs.

#3 Shift your mindset

Are you seeking help, or are you learning something new? There’s nothing wrong with seeking help, but it has attracted a connotation that can prevent you from trying. Reframing the action in a positive context will make it easier.

Reconsider that the support you are seeking is not something additional you need to some weaknesses. Instead, it is an essential ingredient in any manager’s professional development. So, all the regular check-ins with your manager and the questions you ask are worth it and deserved.

What should you ask your senior for? Regular feedback sessions focused on your

management development, not just team deliverables.

#4 Build clarity on what you need

Consider this: You ask someone to pass on a fruit. They hand you an apple. Deep down, you wanted an orange. But how is the other person supposed to know? You should ideally ask for the orange clearly, right?

The same goes for questions you ask your coaches and mentors. For example:

Don’t say: “I’m having trouble with my team’s performance. Can you help?”

Say: “I’ve noticed two high-performing team members are missing deadlines on our new product launch. I’ve tried weekly check-ins to discuss workload, offer additional resources, and adjust timelines.

But I’m still seeing delays. Would you share your framework for diagnosing if this is a skill gap, motivation issue, or something else? I’d especially appreciate hearing about a similar situation you’ve handled. My goal is to get us back on track within the next sprint while maintaining team morale and quality standards.”

The second statement provides a lot more clarity about your situation, your actions, your results, and the task at hand (STAR method, anyone?). It also helps your mentor provide answers clearly without assuming things.

The truth is, seeking support isn’t career suicide – isolation is. The most respected leaders often model continuous learning and demonstrate the courage to be vulnerable. They show their teams that growth requires reaching out and, in doing so, creating cultures where everyone can thrive.

Remember: The goal isn’t to be a perfect manager from day one. The goal is to be a continuously improving one, supported by a network that celebrates growth over perfection.

As per our study among the Risely users, up to 41% of managers felt that their team was lagging behind. The causes are manifold, and they are not a sign of your ineffectiveness. Check out our free resources today to start unlocking professional growth.

Let’s bring change: one feedback at a time.

We’ve built Candor as a tool to share anonymous feedback from employees with team managers. It’s free. Give it a spin here and start connecting.

Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper

Deeksha SharmaFeb 19, 20257 min read
Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper Have you heard of leadership development programs that include horses? If not, you are…

Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb

Deeksha SharmaFeb 18, 2025
Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb Emotions are what make us human. But that’s also the part we…

Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast Leadership isn’t a destination – it’s a journey filled with twists, turns,…

Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn In this conversation with John Horn, a practitioner of the servant leadership style…

What is Immersive Learning? A New Era in Education

Avantika AnandFeb 15, 2025
In this blog, you’ll learn what is immersive learning and how it is changing training, increasing engagement, and influencing the…

Friend or foe? AI for you

Friend or foe? AI for you

Geraldine Murphy , Global Learning Experience Manager at The Heineken Company, shared an interesting insight in the last edition of LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report.

While talking of a move away from one-size-fits-all training, her vision called for a major shift from traditional leadership training to a dynamic mode of delivering leadership development resources.

She discussed two major facets in this equation: the human-led leadership transformation focuses on deep inner work, such as values and purpose.

Do you want to guess what made the other half?

AI

Contrary to popular fear (or expectations or hopes), AI is not set to replace humans. Instead, it’s here to empower humans. It does so in leadership development and coaching by solving for the lack of real-time guidance and insights.

Suppose you don’t have a coach (as most leaders don’t) but do have a people management challenge (as most leaders do)—what’s the way out? AI-powered coaching solutions like Risely’s Merlin bridge this gap effectively through coaching at the point of need.

At first glance, solutions like this seem unreal.

Can an AI ever understand how annoying Karen from Finance is? Can it handle Smith’s mood swings as well as I do?

We’ll let you figure it out here with Merlin for free. Start a role play with your frenemy colleague and let us know.

Amid the threat of job loss due to AI, there are also positive signals, like Asana’s report that 65% of employees understand human-centered AI and believe it will be helpful at work.

In people management roles, what does helpful AI look like?

Is it going to do everything while you relax? Probably not. (Although 1 in 6 US employees ARE open to the idea of having an AI boss)

Instead, AI makes things easier, as discussed in the first use case above of AI coaching.

We always assume and talk about the basics: AI will make data handling and routine administrative work easier, reduce biases, and remove the friction of small tasks.

But there’s more to it; the same report shared that over one-third (37%) of employees want to use AI for creative brainstorming. Going back to Murphy’s statement, we can see the need for brainstorming support even more clearly.

Look at the use cases she refers to, insights for:

  • career discussions
  • strategy development
  • marketing campaigns

All three have one thing in common. They are traditionally high-level human jobs. It is not what we’d ideally like AI to replace. After all, why can’t AI focus on cutting down my laundry while I effectively create value with my solid career plan (final final (2) version.pdf)

AI in people management also works similarly on the creative side. For one, AI coaches can bring skill development to your mobile device and everyone in your organization. It cuts down heavily on the cost of enrolling everyone in a leadership development program and the chase of getting everyone onboard for training that steals their work hours.

That’s not all. AI helps you overcome daily challenges that do not quite fall within the scope of any leadership training. It can address the pesky questions—how do we talk to Rahul about his underperformance? Or how does Brenda plan to meet the deadlines with such slow progress?

An AI coach helps you figure these out with insights or, sometimes, even a role-play.

AI is at work like your co-pilot to drive growth along with you, but it’s currently performing only selective tasks. In the years to come, it is likely to get better, but it still won’t help with laundry.

Let’s bring change: one feedback at a time.

We’ve built Candor as a tool to share anonymous feedback from employees with team managers. It’s free. Give it a spin here and start connecting.

Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper

Deeksha SharmaFeb 19, 20257 min read
Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper Have you heard of leadership development programs that include horses? If not, you are…

Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb

Deeksha SharmaFeb 18, 2025
Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb Emotions are what make us human. But that’s also the part we…

Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast Leadership isn’t a destination – it’s a journey filled with twists, turns,…

Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn In this conversation with John Horn, a practitioner of the servant leadership style…

What is Immersive Learning? A New Era in Education

Avantika AnandFeb 15, 2025
In this blog, you’ll learn what is immersive learning and how it is changing training, increasing engagement, and influencing the…

Can your team keep going without you?

Can your team keep going without you?

What if you vanished?

Alien abduction, probably. The method isn’t the matter here; it’s the impact. What if your team wakes up one day to find that their beloved manager is just not there? Does the thought of this happening scare you?

One possibility is that you may be anxious about who will manage those gazillion tasks and balance meetings. Another is that you may be relaxed, knowing that your team knows their stuff.

While it’s an uncomfortable thought, exploring this scenario can provide valuable insights into your team’s resilience and your effectiveness as a leader.

I spoke earlier about becoming redundant as a manager in a conversation with one of my team members, which you can watch here. In this case, I went away for a trek in a no-contact zone! A few years back, this would have been the stuff of nightmares.

What if someone needs me? What if everything somehow manages to fail?

And the spiral goes on. But we can break this.

There are a few pivotal questions that you should think of:

  • How would your team react in the first 24-48 hours?
  • Are there any urgent tasks or decisions only you can handle?
  • Who would step up to fill the leadership void?

A few key elements help us ensure resilience in the face of planned or unplanned absences of

people leaders.

There are two elements central to building an independent team. The first is the culture and values.

Let’s explore a few of them in detail here.

#1 Communication and information sharing

If you want your team members to handle things in your absence, you need to empower them to do so. This means trusting them with information like login details for key accounts and communication channels to reach important people and building an attitude of ownership in them on a daily basis.

Think of everything your team might need to keep going, even in the case of incidents, and ensure they have access and abilities.

#2 Getting the attitude right

Let’s discuss the ownership factor more here because no matter how much access you grant, it won’t matter until and unless your team sees it as a problem they can solve. You have hit a dead end if it remains a problem for you in their heads.

For this, you need to do the work when you are present and actively working with the team, like letting them handle parts of a process independently and building clear decision-making processes. The more you describe and document, the easier it gets.

If you provide a set of expected behaviors to individuals, they start to learn in terms of “When I am in doubt, how do I make a decision?”

What we do at Risely is more abstract. We have defined five core values that apply to many work-related scenarios. They are guiding principles to look at when you are stuck and alone. As I discussed with Aastha above, if you have “honesty” marked as a value, you will know which direction to take without having anyone nudge you.

#3 Keeping the team afloat

Of course, a manager is not just getting things done but also building a team. You are ensuring effective relationships and healthy team dynamics to keep up work. Do those efforts sustain in your absence? It’s like a test. Here’s how you can pass with shining colors – by building interpersonal relationships in your team.

Think of your absence’s impact on the team’s morale and motivation. Does it seem dangerous? If yes, then there’s work left to do. Start by focusing on the long-term vision that has brought each one of you there, and dive deeper into the impact that each individual brings. They need to see the value in their own efforts and those of their team members.

Visualizing your absence is a powerful tool for identifying gaps in your leadership and areas for improvement. Take some time this week to reflect on these points.

Identify areas where your team might struggle in your absence and develop strategies to address them. Remember, the true measure of a leader is not just what they achieve while present but how well their team functions when they’re gone!

Let’s bring change: one feedback at a time.

We’ve built Candor as a tool to share anonymous feedback from employees with team managers. It’s free. Give it a spin here and start connecting.

Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper

Deeksha SharmaFeb 19, 20257 min read
Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper Have you heard of leadership development programs that include horses? If not, you are…

Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb

Deeksha SharmaFeb 18, 2025
Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb Emotions are what make us human. But that’s also the part we…

Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast Leadership isn’t a destination – it’s a journey filled with twists, turns,…

Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn In this conversation with John Horn, a practitioner of the servant leadership style…

What is Immersive Learning? A New Era in Education

Avantika AnandFeb 15, 2025
In this blog, you’ll learn what is immersive learning and how it is changing training, increasing engagement, and influencing the…

Are you a Manager of Managers?

Are you a Manager of Managers?

I am back after a hiatus. Last month was exciting with meeting customers and discussing how they are looking to leverage AI for leadership development in their organizations. I loved sharing what we are doing at Risely, and getting their feedback. Well, more on this later.

Today’s topic is how you develop other managers who report to you. After all, you are responsible for their development. If they are not good managers, your overall performance will suffer.

One of the most worrying aspects of being a manager is trying to develop management and leadership potential in others. After all, the game does not end with you; that’s just the beginning. You need a whole army that can follow through and add more to the precedents you are setting.

This is especially crucial in three scenarios:

  • you are managing more managers
  • you are a founder manager
  • you are soon hunting for a successor for your team

The question and trouble in all three scenes are quite similar: How should I motivate my team to pursue leadership development opportunities more effectively?

Here are a few things that I have tried to unlock the leadership potential of my team members across the two decades of my professional journey:

#1 Create small instances of learning that don’t really feel like learning

No one appreciates being taken out of their desk and dropped in front of an executive coach describing how many types of leaders exist. But a new project is coming up and hunting for its leader? Sign me up quick!

This is even easier for team members who are eager and open to professional growth, as they look forward to these opportunities and might find the conventional training routes boring. This gives them practical experience and shows you how well they can perform, giving a quick assessment of readiness for a leadership role soon down the line.

Plus, the experience gained this way is better than what any other stimulation could create. In a recent Forbes article, Harrison Monarth advocated integrating experiential learning into such initiatives.

#2 Show them the real deal

A level of curiosity persists around a leader or manager from their team. For many awe-inspiring managers, this is a great sign of loyalty and support from their team members. In that case, winning over your team members to take them onto the next step of their professional journeys is about building camaraderie and sharing ideas.

If I want to motivate my team members to take up additional responsibilities, I would prefer to spend much time explaining how it goes and what it leads to. And no, I am not talking about explaining like a teacher while they listen and nod. It’s about involving them as an active participant in the process. Ask them questions. Make them think if the process is right. Give them a real inside view of a manager or leader’s role. This is like a mix of job shadowing and coaching in one cocktail.

#3 Showcase the impact of leadership development in their terms

The leadership development program matters to you because you want to hand over the team to someone soon, but that’s not a concern for your team members. If you are pushing them toward a leadership or management development program, showcase the value it can bring to their lives.

Would it help them overcome long-held challenges like difficulty being assertive? Would it give them an edge over other colleagues? Can it give them the skills to move to their dream role? These programs need to answer those questions before seeking approval and excitement from the participants. If little happens beyond increasing performance metrics, their engagement would have little impact.

Now, how can you do this? As their manager and leader, you are well-positioned to understand their motivations, needs, and challenges while having the insights to guide them toward the right path.

These three things have certainly helped me motivate my team at some point; what are your go-to ideas? I’d love to hear them, too!

Let’s bring change: one feedback at a time.

We’ve built Candor as a tool to share anonymous feedback from employees with team managers. It’s free. Give it a spin here and start connecting.

Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper

Deeksha SharmaFeb 19, 20257 min read
Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper Have you heard of leadership development programs that include horses? If not, you are…

Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb

Deeksha SharmaFeb 18, 2025
Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb Emotions are what make us human. But that’s also the part we…

Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast Leadership isn’t a destination – it’s a journey filled with twists, turns,…

Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn In this conversation with John Horn, a practitioner of the servant leadership style…

What is Immersive Learning? A New Era in Education

Avantika AnandFeb 15, 2025
In this blog, you’ll learn what is immersive learning and how it is changing training, increasing engagement, and influencing the…

Let’s Reverse the Gaze of Radical Candor?

Let’s Reverse the Gaze of Radical Candor?

Have you heard about Radical Candor?

It’s a book by Kim Scott that first came out in 2017. The tagline is “Caring Personally while Challenging Directly.” Since then, another book, Radical Respect, and a few podcast episodes have followed, emphasizing the same concept.

The philosophy of Radical Candor has found cozy corners in the workplaces of many well-known brands. But do you think the challenge is over? It’s far from over.

Why?

Mostly because there’s a gap between what we practice and what we preach. Let’s look at some data to make the picture clearer.

Based on what we learned while curating Risely’s State of Leadership Development Report:

  • 42% of all managers struggled with taking multiple follow-ups from their teams.
  • 26% of new managers have trouble understanding their team members’ feelings.

The other most frequently occurring challenges include handling frequent performance issues, difficulty in having tough conversations, and the feeling that the team is overworked.

All of these together point to a gap between managers and their teams. Problems are felt only when they become big enough. Even then, they are felt but not accurately diagnosed or given due time to heal, as the frequent and repetitive nature of issues shows.

It happens when employees are not free to speak up about their feelings. If a manager needs multiple follow-ups, their team often struggles with the task and cannot seek help. Similarly, if a manager does not understand what their team is feeling, there’s yet another space where the team cannot express themselves openly.

We can narrow down a few common reasons:

  • The team is not comfortable with the manager sharing their thoughts freely. This is more common than you’d think because most organizations either explicitly or implicitly follow a hierarchical structure that shall not be disrupted. If you do by voicing concerns, you are shown the door. At times, feedback shared privately makes its way to the grapevine and goes on to impact performance and compensation-related decisions.
  • There are no set communication channels. Believe it or not, feedback is a two-way exercise. But most teams do it one way at best. On this note, does your company get feedback from employees for managers? If not, you are missing performance improvements. Without such mechanisms, there’s no way to share feedback, even when people are prepared to share and hear others out.
  • The third thing is culture. The company’s culture needs to enable feedback and openness—Candor has to be built into the values and habits. If the culture is right, you can take some steps to build mechanisms and habits that promote easier feedback sharing.

Managers have a pivotal role to play in this. As per Gallup, about 80% of the employees who received meaningful feedback were fully engaged at work. To give back to this, managers have to strengthen their coaching muscles, i.e., ask more questions, continuously listen to what the team is saying, and promote dialogue among the people.

Essentially, Candor begins with you. You can then inspire your team to follow suit and achieve success together.

Let’s bring change: one feedback at a time.

We’ve built Candor as a tool to share anonymous feedback from employees with team managers. It’s free. Give it a spin here and start connecting.

Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper

Deeksha SharmaFeb 19, 20257 min read
Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper Have you heard of leadership development programs that include horses? If not, you are…

Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb

Deeksha SharmaFeb 18, 2025
Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb Emotions are what make us human. But that’s also the part we…

Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast Leadership isn’t a destination – it’s a journey filled with twists, turns,…

Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn In this conversation with John Horn, a practitioner of the servant leadership style…

What is Immersive Learning? A New Era in Education

Avantika AnandFeb 15, 2025
In this blog, you’ll learn what is immersive learning and how it is changing training, increasing engagement, and influencing the…

Over analyzing things keeps you stagnant.

Over analyzing things keeps you stagnant.

Have you ever found yourself reading a sentence again and again without making much sense of it?

Or, have you ever looked into options twice, thrice, and then one more time for good measure without being sure of anything still?

This situation, where you are unable to make decisions, is known as analysis paralysis.

As per Cleveland Clinic, it causes you to have an intense, emotional reaction when faced with making a decision. It erupts in management and leadership professionals often. Unsurprisingly, a lot of our job is about making decisions and following through.

That’s where the trouble strikes—there’s this constant nagging voice in the back of your head: What if you made the wrong decision?

Analysis paralysis, although not a medical condition on its own, is related to anxiety, depression, and ADHD. If you go in search of causes, you will find the tiredness from decision-making to be a common one.

Decision fatigue and the overwhelming emotion of being responsible for everything around us often put us in a state of perplexity. It’s like being trapped in a rut; moving forward is hard because that’s yet another decision to make and act on.

So, what’s the way out for managers?

First up, start by identifying the signs of analysis paralysis. It could include indecision over something as small as what to eat for dinner or what type of coffee you’d like the barista to make. The root cause is not the enormity of the decision but the availability of too many options that get us thinking and analyzing every bit and piece till the end.

What are you likely to do when you are unsure of what to eat for dinner? Delay the meal and grab a packet of chips instead. This is a hidden form of procrastination that analysis paralysis often leads to.

On the other hand, you might find yourself carefully reading the labels of every variety of coffee in front of you. Light roast or dark? Arabica or Robusta? Analysis is our best friend, and we will go to the root of everything as long as we can to avoid making a decision. This is another sign that you are caught in analysis paralysis, where you are constantly gobbling up information but making no use of it.

Oh, wait, what’s the easy way out of these questions? Let’s just order what our friend is having. They have a decent choice. It won’t be so bad after all. Avoiding decision-making in situations or avoiding the role itself is also a form of escapism that analysis paralysis often has us practice.

The walls are closing in on this.

Begin by reframing what you expect from yourself. The pressure with every decision increases when we expect each one to be perfect. Our dinner choices should follow every good piece of advice out there, and the coffee should be reflective of our good taste. So, of course, business decisions invite even more scrutiny; each one needs to lead to growth.

But this tendency to always crave the best is a silent killer. Perfectionism makes us chase a mirage while letting go of the next meaningful step we can take toward our goals. Instead, think of making progress.

It’s one of the company values that we follow at Risely.

Progression > Perfection

But, you may ask, small progress leads to nothing. This is true until we factor in small progress being made regularly.

As James Clear shared in his popular essay on continuous improvement, it’s all about tiny gains.

1% better every day: 1.01 365 = 37.78

Next up, understand that it’s okay to be okay-ish at things. As managers and leaders, we are held up to high standards by others and ourselves too. But this leads to trouble, too, as we fall victim to what I call “super person syndrome.” It’s an attempt to do everything ourselves to the best of our capacities, which is ultimately unhealthy.

Instead, take breaks and get help when you need it. You, and others around you, will be happier.

Since we are living in the information age, with screens blaring new and concise information to us each and every second, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

The key is to create boundaries and let only the things that matter get inside.

Let’s bring change: one feedback at a time.

We’ve built Candor as a tool to share anonymous feedback from employees with team managers. It’s free. Give it a spin here and start connecting.

Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper

Deeksha SharmaFeb 19, 20257 min read
Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper Have you heard of leadership development programs that include horses? If not, you are…

Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb

Deeksha SharmaFeb 18, 2025
Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb Emotions are what make us human. But that’s also the part we…

Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast Leadership isn’t a destination – it’s a journey filled with twists, turns,…

Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn In this conversation with John Horn, a practitioner of the servant leadership style…

What is Immersive Learning? A New Era in Education

Avantika AnandFeb 15, 2025
In this blog, you’ll learn what is immersive learning and how it is changing training, increasing engagement, and influencing the…

Do you need authority to be an effective leader?

Do you need authority to be an effective leader?

Are you a strong leader? Or do you sometimes wonder if people are willing to walk all over you?

Honestly, many of us are not loud and out there to prove that we are the best in the game. But at times, it makes one wonder – are we doing enough?

I talked about this with someone recently.

In a podcast episode recorded last month, I connected with John Horn, SHRM-SCP, MPA. With hundreds of employees to manage, he has a big task at hand, which he solves with an interesting leadership approach: servant leadership.

Now, when it comes to servant leadership, there’s this very simple myth:

  • You are not being assertive.
  • You agree with whatever the other person says.
  • You are not holding anyone accountable.

But John disagreed.

He shared that servant leadership is about creating an environment that allows for team and organization’s accountability and growth while honoring the working people rather than treating them like cogs in a machine.

In defining servant leadership, he shared a new perspective on what leadership could mean.

Leadership does not need to be about power and influence. It can be about serving others and making a positive impact. The formula is putting service first in every act and authority in the background.

But would your team still get things done?

Absolutely yes.

Here’s why:

Money is not the sole incentive that brings people to their desks daily. It could be growth opportunities, a matter of identity, or the feeling of accomplishment that they get regularly at work.

For instance, flexibility is important to many employees today; it’s one of the top five considerations when weighing a role. Does a strict leadership approach permit that? Are your employees satisfied with the resultant work environment?

It’s a no-brainer. They won’t be.

Your solution is adopting a leadership approach that won’t garner old-school approval.

A leader who actively displays care and trust adds immense value to the workplace. And that’s what servant leaders focus on, as per John!

Research agrees with this sentiment, as positive workplace behavior from leaders is shown to

help employee engagement and relationships.

The key is to meet the employee where they are and fulfill their needs instead of pushing yourself and your team into a paradigm of deadlines and OKRs.

Your approach might seem too weak to many, but it’s meant for your team’s context and challenges. Leadership and people management are evolving arenas; you need someone who gets you as you are in the present to support you.

Putting ideas into action

Now the question is, how does this tie up with you? Do you also feel that your leadership style is timid?

John suggests journaling as one of the finest methods to develop an understanding of your leadership style. Thinking about some critical questions like these below can help you introspect:

  • What helps me feel valued as a leader?
  • What motivates me as a leader?

As you reflect more, your clarity increases over time.

To cultivate a more servant-focused leadership style, try actively soliciting feedback from your team members on how you can better support their growth and development.

John’s podcast, which you can catch here, offers more insights about servant leadership. Let me know your thoughts – I’m excited to hear how you plan to lead with greater empathy and service.

Let’s bring change: one feedback at a time.

We’ve built Candor as a tool to share anonymous feedback from employees with team managers. It’s free. Give it a spin here and start connecting.

Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper

Deeksha SharmaFeb 19, 20257 min read
Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper Have you heard of leadership development programs that include horses? If not, you are…

Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb

Deeksha SharmaFeb 18, 2025
Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb Emotions are what make us human. But that’s also the part we…

Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast Leadership isn’t a destination – it’s a journey filled with twists, turns,…

Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn In this conversation with John Horn, a practitioner of the servant leadership style…

What is Immersive Learning? A New Era in Education

Avantika AnandFeb 15, 2025
In this blog, you’ll learn what is immersive learning and how it is changing training, increasing engagement, and influencing the…

New Managers and Small Teams: A Match Made Not Made In Heaven

New Managers and Small Teams: A Match Made Not Made In Heaven

My team currently has nine people, including myself. That sounds pretty simple, right? After all, exactly how much trouble can nine people create? That’s a fair and common assumption. But managing small teams is not as simple as it looks!

Even in my day-to-day ops, I find myself having a hard time giving enough attention to each side. Things are quite simple for me, as I broadly have two sub-teams, so I can coordinate with two facets in mind. And yet, both are wrestling for more interest and bandwidth to get things done.

As the manager, ultimately, I also need to ensure that things are communicated well. It means having not-so-pleasant conversations with my team members frequently. The working relationships we have here are much closer than many bigger teams would have, and putting in plenty of time together every day means that we also have blurry personal and professional relationships quite easily. The stakes are higher for the emotions involved in this equation now.

That’s just one thing. That’s the context. In case some problem does show up, it’s going to impact the whole team way more quickly. Everything is heightened in visibility. A larger proportion of my team is impacted by each movement. So, just like the good vibes, the bad ones catch up a lot more quickly than we’d expect.

In such scenarios, there are also limited people to work around solutions. Since most of us have roles that span multiple areas, the impacts travel the same way. Personally, I double up as a manager and a coach for my team, which puts me in a unique spot where I obviously want to get things done but also ensure that the people are not harmed in the process. Many managers can give up on the second consideration. Anyone in a long career would have seen that in action.

This newsletter is not a rant. But it’s surely a spotlight on an issue we must care about. The woe isn’t mine alone. A lot of users on Risely highlight this challenge. When they are working with small teams, the most commonly experienced challenges are:

  • Difficulty in having tough conversations.
  • Doing frequent follow-ups with the team.
  • Frequently finding themselves doing the team’s work.

In fact, more than 50% of the people managers felt the first one! The answer to all of these lies in the highly interpersonal nature of such small teams. We get increased workloads and closer relationships without much of the support that bigger teams elicit.

While building our State of Leadership Development Report, we asked an expert about this. Brenda Hooper, who specializes in coaching managers for assertive communication and conflict management, reaffirmed our understanding: “Managers worry about damaging personal relationships or team morale, leading to avoidance or mismanagement of tough topics.” She further explained that this hypersensitive context needs more care and delicate treatment.

Sounds good, but that’s where everything goes out for a toss.

Most managers start with a small team. Small teams and new managers thus make a combination set for disaster because neither factor merits support in the eyes of the higher-ups making decisions. Leadership development plans, coaching and mentoring opportunities, or even the support group of peers are non-existent at this level, because why can’t our brilliant IC tackle this just like that big coding challenge?

It’s no surprise that the new generation shies away from management roles because this is a setup designed for failure. As one of the most under-supported people, new managers certainly have much to raise their voices for. But of course, professional growth matters more, and which one of us has not tried to shake up the world in a new job role? Winging it is then the lone way out.

Can we change this?

Let’s try. It needs a few simple things:

  • A senior leader as a coach. Consider executive learning options if you don’t have one on the team.
  • Someone to hand-hold when problems start to show up for our new managers.
  • Intention matters the most. We can overlook the impact, but let’s focus here if we care about things running well and long.

Let’s bring change: one feedback at a time.

We’ve built Candor as a tool to share anonymous feedback from employees with team managers. It’s free. Give it a spin here and start connecting.

Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper

Deeksha SharmaFeb 19, 20257 min read
Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper Have you heard of leadership development programs that include horses? If not, you are…

Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb

Deeksha SharmaFeb 18, 2025
Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb Emotions are what make us human. But that’s also the part we…

Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast Leadership isn’t a destination – it’s a journey filled with twists, turns,…

Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn In this conversation with John Horn, a practitioner of the servant leadership style…

What is Immersive Learning? A New Era in Education

Avantika AnandFeb 15, 2025
In this blog, you’ll learn what is immersive learning and how it is changing training, increasing engagement, and influencing the…

Top 7 Learning and Development Trends 2025

Top 7 Learning and Development Trends 2025

It is no surprise that the world of learning and development is changing. A lot of innovation is happening in the space, particularly with the advent of AI, which everyone expects to be the game changer. There’s also the need for a post-pandemic revival that never happened in its true sense, an economic scenario that shies away from promising certainty and calls for reimagining learning and development in workplaces from its present faces. In this blog post, we are talking about the top 7 learning and development trends that will take center stage in 2025.
What comes to your mind when you think of training the people, managers, and leaders on your team? For most of us, the answer used to be a nice-looking workshop by a well-known instructor and an online course to add a cherry on top because that would build reinforcement. But let’s be real. Most of this fails to account for the context of the manager we are training and delivers little value to them personally. Unsurprisingly, they are disgruntled about having to take out precious hours from work or personal life to endure the ordeal. Sure, networking is a benefit of these programs. But what about the learning itself? The learning and development trends 2025 promise a break from these old-school ideas. As we started by noticing the many changes in the learning and development landscape, the impacts started to show. Lean teams want to create an impact that organically reaches more people and creates happy experiences. The mechanic mode of learning is out, while empathetic learning, ironically powered by machines, is in. For learning and development initiatives focused on people management roles, this means a revamp right from the beginning. For instance, while going through Risely users to curate the State of Leadership Development Report, we understood that most of their challenges do not fit neat boxes. Instead, they look like this statement: “My team feels overworked.” It could mean the manager is not setting the right expectations with their team, the team is not sufficiently skilled for jobs, or the team needs to hire someone very soon. The context is married to the challenge in a way that we are just beginning to understand and solve with the help of innovative solutions in L&D. In fact, diagnosing the right challenge is a task in itself! At best, most managers can tell you the symptoms, provided they have the space and security to do so. Risely’s AI coach Merlin is one step in this direction because it starts with a tabula rasa – a blank slate where the user’s challenges and contexts are defined with them, with no assumptions or biases hurting the process. Similarly, microlearning continues to pique interest and reach job areas needing a personalized learning and development approach. What has defined L&D in 2024? Sadly, it has been a categorically bad thing. It was the year when L&D and HR teams lost people, budgets were harder to acquire, and there was uncertainty across the board. So, how do we move into 2025? “Cautious optimism” is the way to go. I asked this question in a recent conversation with Kelli Dragovich, and it was part of her answer.
I just feel like the soil is loosening up a bit, even though this growth isn’t out there yet. It’s underground and I feel good about that, and look when when things are moving forward and you’re building and you’re not tearing down ,it becomes fun. I do think there will be more elements of optimism and fun this year. which is great because that keep us going.
It means that although the past few years have been shaky, we are in for something new. As I mentioned earlier in the first point, empathetic learning powered by new tools is in big time. Organizations are looking for ways to solve for visible challenges like retention and keeping the best talent ammunition with them, so it’s a no brainer that HR and L&D teams move ahead with the idea of innovation with the human touch at the center. What does it take to be an L&D professional in 2025? The answer is not limited to learning design and knowing how to run a lecture anymore. As more tech comes in, there is demand for L&D professionals who can leverage it to do less with more. In essence, Kelli’s insight suggests that organizations are looking for solutions that touch more people but within their limited means. Even earlier this year, the LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report had pitched a more active role for complex skills like analytical ability, working with data effectively, and a set of “human skills” that make you more endearing to the people around you. After all, you must sell L&D programs to multiple people, get approvals, and garner engagement. And, of course, there’s AI. Is it going to steal your job? Likely no. I spoke with Dr. Steven Hunt, the author of Talent Tectonics, over a podcast, and he remarked that two pivotal changes are modifying the skills matrix for L&D professionals. The first is digitization—AI and many other avatars are showing promise. As with every technical advancement, some jobs get lost, and new ones are created. The second is demographics, since many people are aging out of the workforce, and there’s demand for more. So, there’s space to learn, innovate, and be more humane in L&D. When it comes to being a nice HR or L&D professional, what do you think about? One vital area is ensuring that the employees can realize their potential. It includes supporting employees on their professional journeys, keeping up with their interests and ideas for upskilling, and building employee loyalty toward the organization. A lot of traditional ideas in this space are really constricting. They put boundaries on how work is done, organized, and even approached. But fret not! The good thing about ideas is that new ones are always there. The Inside Gig is one concept that calls you to move away from the conventional job descriptions. With an inside gig, employees pick and choose projects that match their needs. It also supports your resource needs, because teams sometimes have shortages and excesses. It can be a game changer for managers because it calls for a shift from the mindset of “my employee” to a more open, care-intensive view toward people where managers coach, support, and sustain others. However, the best unlock comes for the employees who get to put all their skills to use, learn new ones, and explore areas that restrictive jobs would otherwise prevent them from. Dr. Edie Goldberg has documented plenty of of successful examples, including big names like HERE Technologies and TATA Communications. For L&D teams, it is a call to make more active connections with the HR function because you are the ones in charge of keeping up the organization’s skills inventory, upskilling and reskilling workers, and ensuring that people have effective learning experiences. Reinventing the wheel of training people better at work to keep up with their interests is one thing; speeding up the game is another. What about the core processes of learning and development itself? Turns out, there are some changes on the horizon for those, too. The learning and development trends 2025 point to one clear thing—we want more AI to be used effectively. The question is: where can L&D teams leverage AI? The basic idea is that AI will help us better create content faster. But is that all? Earlier this year, I was speaking with Inna Horvath, and she gave an amazing reality check:
“When it comes to content, it’s not enough to just type in ‘I need a course on talent management; and you would have 10 pages of text, maybe a quiz if with multiple choices if you are lucky. But that’s not enough. We all know that, that’s not enough… What I think is important is to learn technology in an ecological way.”
In essence, there are more vital applications for AI, which are not just about doing quick fixes in many vital areas of L&D operations like data analysis, localization with translators, and even hyper-personalization. For instance, Steve mentioned a great concept in our conversation. While potential is equally distributed across society, potential is not. What technology can do is it will enable us to not only spot the skills that we need but also point out the under-looked potential in people. It allows us to think much more deeply! However, developing learning content is one step among the many in the learning and development of professionals. The future of L&D looks at AI disruptions in many more areas like that. As Paul Matthews, the founder of People Alchemy, remarked in a podcast earlier:
“We’re right at the beginning of stumbling around in the dark.”
A few years down the line, incredible AI solutions will be available for the learning and development space. Paul clarified that while the present day is all about prompting AI to generate results, the very near future will take a different shape. There are AI solutions that essentially sit between me and you as facilitators in a very human way. There’s a lot more AI in L&D under the wraps, particularly with improved training to create personalized, specific solutions for certain use cases. In fact, Risely’s AI coach, Merlin, is one such solution for people managers. What it does is fill the gap that traditional coaching leaves in the hearts of many managers and leaders due to its high investment needs and low accessibility. If the AI age is here, do we remain stuck to our screens? Isn’t it a travesty to move from classrooms to classrooms on screens? Well, it’s a good thing that we are not doing that. More innovative and interesting ideas come to life with more research in the learning and development space. The focus is on learning experiences derived from designing user and customer experiences in product development and sales, respectively. A good learning experience considers what the learner wants and ties it to what the organization needs, which essentially saves us from imposing goals and processes on anyone. Some practitioners are doing incredible work in making learning experiences worth it for employees. One such example is the equine-facilitated learning program that Janis Cooper and her team run at the Best Friends of Animal Society. They use horses for leadership training programs with people managers. Why horses? Well, they are very receptive and empathetic animals who would love to build a connection with you. And they don’t know that you are a senior in the company and you cannot really cut their salary. Jokes aside, this interesting program works with people managers to help them build trust with their teams by understanding how to make someone feel safe and secure in the environment. This offers a huge break from the daily hustle of work and the boredom that has now come to be associated with “upskilling” for professionals. We look forward to more such L&D programs breaking the notions of boredom soon. TL;DR on the learning and development trends of 2025:
  1. Manager training gets a much needed revamp.
  2. L&D teams begin the year with cautious optimism.
  3. New skills for L&D professionals, focusing on the human aspect, become in demand.
  4. Employee aspirations get more spotlight in L&D plans.
  5. AI changes how learning strategies are viewed.
  6. AI also changes for L&D teams function.
  7. L&D heads out of classrooms for immersive experiences.
Let’s check in at the end of the year? Meanwhile, in case you want to check out the detailed conversations that led to these trends, they are a part of our podcast listed here:

Planning your learning and development strategy?

Make it easy with Risely’s free template of L&D strategy framework today.

Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper

Deeksha SharmaFeb 19, 20257 min read
Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper Have you heard of leadership development programs that include horses? If not, you are…

Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb

Deeksha SharmaFeb 18, 2025
Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb Emotions are what make us human. But that’s also the part we…

Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast Leadership isn’t a destination – it’s a journey filled with twists, turns,…

Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn In this conversation with John Horn, a practitioner of the servant leadership style…

What is Immersive Learning? A New Era in Education

Avantika AnandFeb 15, 2025
In this blog, you’ll learn what is immersive learning and how it is changing training, increasing engagement, and influencing the…

Everything You Can Get for $30 Today!

Everything You Can Get for $30 Today!

$30 does not sound like a huge amount. But it can surely deliver a lot of value when you need it. Today, you might be able to get:

  • 2-3 McDonald’s Big Mac Meals
  • Two movie tickets
  • A new paperback book
  • A month of leadership coaching by Risely

How’s the last one possible? It’s because our Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale is live!

Now, you can grab any Risely package at half the price. Use the coupon code BFCM2024 at the checkout, and you’re all set to shine!*

Let’s see what that looks like – for a price of $30, you get:

AI Coaching with Merlin

Merlin is Risely’s AI coach for people leaders and managers. It allows you to get answers to troubling situations and develop skills at your convenience. You can access support in three

exciting modes: discussions, skill development, and role-plays.

But that’s not all. Merlin also supports a voice mode in over 40 languages, so that help feels like home. The sessions are on-demand and always available, so you never need to worry about people management troubles holding you back.

Take your first AI leadership coaching session for free.

A Custom Learning Journey

Your challenges are as unique as you are. Putting you into a box with a hundred others won’t do justice. That’s why every manager on Risely gets a custom leadership development journey.

You start by picking relevant challenges that you are experiencing. Further, you are assessed on the core leadership and management skills before a plan is prepared. With this roadmap, you get daily nudges and activities to complement learning in the flow of work.

Explore how learning journeys are made.

Skill Center

“I want to be a good manager.” Sure, but what does being a good manager really mean? What skills are we talking about? What journey are you going to take before you are deemed good?

Risely helps you understand these ideas better with the Skill Center. Risely’s Skill Center equips managers with 30 essential skills with opportunities to self-assess, solicit team feedback anonymously, and get detailed reviews of your abilities.

Check out our range of skill assessments for people leaders.

Risely is the buddy who will hold your hand through the ups and downs of professional life.

What changes can you expect with Risely?

  • Guidance at every step of the way. Forget being confused and worrying about how you will handle the role of a manager.
  • Ownership of your professional growth. If you are tired of the usual mix of leadership development programs that preach before they diagnose, you are about to find respite. Risely lets you take charge and set the direction.
  • All-around progress, especially in your people skills. Most professionals focus on their job’s functional skills and ignore this bit, which is very important for success in managerial roles.

Sounds good? Start a new way of leading today.

Grab your deal.

*Applicable only on one invoice.

*Code is valid till 31st December 2024.

Let’s bring change: one feedback at a time.

We’ve built Candor as a tool to share anonymous feedback from employees with team managers. It’s free. Give it a spin here and start connecting.

Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper

Deeksha SharmaFeb 19, 20257 min read
Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper Have you heard of leadership development programs that include horses? If not, you are…

Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb

Deeksha SharmaFeb 18, 2025
Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb Emotions are what make us human. But that’s also the part we…

Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast Leadership isn’t a destination – it’s a journey filled with twists, turns,…

Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn In this conversation with John Horn, a practitioner of the servant leadership style…

What is Immersive Learning? A New Era in Education

Avantika AnandFeb 15, 2025
In this blog, you’ll learn what is immersive learning and how it is changing training, increasing engagement, and influencing the…

3 Reasons Why Your Digital Learning Strategy Fails

3 Reasons Why Your Digital Learning Strategy Fails

In the last few years, digital learning strategies have changed how we learn. More and more organizations are using online learning platforms and tools. Because of this, it’s very important to have a clear plan. Sadly, many digital learning programs do not meet expectations. This blog post looks at three common reasons why digital learning strategies fail. It also offers tips for making learning experiences better.
Digital learning has changed the way we gain knowledge and skills. Online learning platforms have made it possible for people everywhere to access educational resources at any time and place. With more mobile devices around, learning is now easier and more convenient. Today’s learning platforms provide many tools and resources. These include video calls, interactive modules, and personalized learning plans. In the latest wave of L&D’s digital revolution, the tides are shifting toward higher adoption and integration of AI in workplaces to create meaningful digital learning experiences. More and more L&D teams are exploring options like microlearning and personalized journeys for the employees to focus on key pain points like learner retention and application of training at work. Still, having these technological features does not ensure a successful digital learning strategy. Digital learning has many great opportunities, but it also has some challenges. You need to deal with technological changes, teaching methods, and what learners expect. As a result, you need to think of many points of failure while creating learning and development strategies.

Reason #1: Lack of Clear Objectives and Goals

A common problem in digital learning is not having clear goals. Without clear learning objectives, it is hard to create good learning experiences or to see if your learning strategy is working. Many organizations focus too much on technology and not enough on the results they want to achieve. When AI is becoming more of a buzzword rather than a tool, it is easy to fall into the hype and directly jump into the application stage without thinking through it. To create a strong learning strategy, start by identifying the skills and knowledge you want learners to gain (this should further connect to your organization’s business goals). By setting clear learning objectives, you give a plan for teams and individual learners so everyone aims for the same goal. It is only after the goals are set that you can think of execution. Moving to corporate learning plans for next year, keep this one mantra in mind: Do: Use AI to achieve strategic learning goals. Don’t: Treat “Use AI” as a goal in your L&D strategy. One aspect of bad goal-setting is getting lost in the process. The second aspect is the lack of clarity. Each goal should explain what learners can do after finishing the training. For instance, instead of saying learners will “understand project management principles,” a better goal is “learners will be able to apply project management principles to create a project plan with clear timelines, milestones, and resources.” Measuring learning outcomes helps you track progress and see how well your training is working. You can use different methods, such as quizzes, assignments, simulations, and observations, to check whether learners have the right skills or knowledge after the programs are complete. Also, by creating realistic and relevant learning goals, you boost learners’ motivation and knowledge retention. When learners know the goals and values of their learning experience, they are more likely to get involved with the material and ultimately create strategic results that you are assessed on.

Reason #2: Ignoring the Needs of Your Learners

A learner-focused approach is very important for making engaging and effective digital learning experiences. Many organizations, however, do not pay enough attention to learner analysis and skills gap analysis. Ignoring the needs, preferences, and learning styles of your audience can cause low engagement, weak knowledge retention, and a poor learning strategy. For instance, if an organization made up entirely of people who are largely not tech-savvy and above 60 adopts an online learning program, we know what to expect. Before heading into the action, think of what your learners need.
  • Tech skills: Are they good with online learning platforms, or do they need more help using them?
  • Time limits: Do they have flexible schedules, or are they busy with work, family, and other things?
  • Learning styles: Do they like visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or mixed learning methods?
The story does not end with analyzing the surface before creating a digital learning strategy. Make sure your online course is accessible. It means adding captions to videos, transcripts for audio, keyboard navigation, and alternative text for images. Meeting these accessibility needs, you help create a learning space that includes everyone. Lastly, keep your content short, relevant, and engaging. Use microlearning methods to break big topics into smaller pieces. Include real-life examples, case studies, and scenarios to make the learning more useful and relatable. Catering to the needs of learners means focusing on both what they need to learn and how they can learn it best.

Reason #3: Over-Reliance on Technology

Technology is very important for digital learning. However, relying too much on digital tools without thinking about teaching methods can lead to problems. It’s easy to be distracted by new gadgets and software. But remember, technology should help improve the learning process, not take over. A good digital learning strategy finds the right balance between technology and teaching methods. The main goal should be to create valuable learning experiences. It helps people gain knowledge, think critically, and develop skills. When you plan your digital learning strategy, think about the teaching principles that will help you choose the right technology and methods for teaching. For example, think about using social learning tools to encourage teamwork and sharing ideas among learners. These can include discussion forums, group projects, or giving feedback to friends. Look into gamification methods or interactive simulations to improve engagement and help with knowledge retention. Or, if you’re teaching a highly technical subject, interactive simulations or virtual reality experiences might be beneficial for providing learners with hands-on experience. On the other hand, if you’re focusing on soft skills development, role-playing scenarios or video-based coaching sessions might be more effective. The main idea is to pick digital tools that match your teaching goals. Ensure they add to the learning experience instead of taking away from it. Don’t let technology control how you teach. Choose the tools that best fit your teaching objectives and the needs of your learners.
TL;DR Your digital learning strategy fails when:
  1. You don’t have clearly defined learning goals.
  2. You don’t look into what your learners need.
  3. You focus only on the “digital” aspect of the learning strategy.
Now, the big question is, how can we change learning and development for the present age? What makes a successful learning strategy? Let’s try to answer that next.

#1 Clarity on Goals and the Role of Tech

Goals are the pivot for your learning initiatives. This holds true even when the said learning happens in a digital landscape. Hence, start thinking of digital learning strategies in tandem with the wider learning and development strategy of your organization. Your business objectives should inform your learning objectives, and from there you can further carve out the areas that fall under the scope of digital learning. For example, a retail chain wants to improve customer service ratings by 25% within six months across 50 stores. That’s the business goal. Upon analysis, the company realizes the need to improve its customer service practice, leading to three key learning goals:
  • Train staff in advanced customer service techniques
  • Standardize service protocols across all stores
  • Improve product knowledge among sales staff
When it comes to developing the digital learning strategy, the L&D team realizes that the staff needs something with a simple UI; they have limited hours to devote to training. Some soft skill training needs cannot be simply addressed through lectures, etc. Based on these ideas, we can think of a mix including:
  • Mobile LMS for easy access during store hours
  • Microlearning modules for quick learning between shifts
  • AR-based product demonstration tools
  • Virtual role-play scenarios for customer interaction practice
Similarly, you also need of think of where tech can fulfil your learning needs effectively and where it cannot before starting the implementation. Need help for your learning and development plan? Download the free L&D strategy framework by Risely!

#2 Learner-centricity

As we saw in the example of a digital learning strategy above, the needs of the end-user (learner in our case) are critical in determining the ideal course of action. Practicing this ensures learners are at the center of the process, leading to higher engagement in learning and development initiatives. When employees understand the why behind a training program, they are much more open to understanding the what and how. Beyond the C-suite, you need to sell ideas here too. It results in higher participation, performance outcomes, and, ultimately, the success of L&D strategies. But what does learner centricity even mean? We are designing learning for the employee, duh. That’s an extremely simplistic way of looking at it. Learner centricity would mean ensuring that your team can access and apply learning without additional trouble. It includes distributing and delivering material in the right format, gathering feedback and using it for improvements, and providing personalized attention to their unique needs with digital learning platforms and services. For instance, Risely creates personalized learning journeys for people managers since their contexts and challenges cannot be lumped up into a single program. And since managers are often busy and booked people with overflowing calendars, Risely uses microlearning and nudging to meet them where they are – in the middle of a lot happening!

#3 Ease of Use in Digital Learning

No one likes clunky tech, but ask people what they hate the most about the learning systems (mostly an LMS) that their workplaces force down their throats, and you will hear about this age-old woe. Conventionally, digital learning comes in the form of online pre-recorded lectures, a quizzing module if you are lucky, and some platforms that seem to work best on mobile when you are on the desktop version and vice-versa. It’s 2024, and it’s high time this thing was left behind. Josh Bersin pointed to this move away from LMSs even back in 2017. If LMS is out, what’s in? We are moving to the era of digital learning that meets the learners where they are. It means fitting into their schedules and day-to-day routines. One way of doing this is microlearning, just like we practice at Risely with daily nudges and activities pictured above. But there’s more to it; another way to meet the learner where they literally are, which we have adopted lately, is integrations within digital workplaces like Slack and Teams. It helps reduce the friction in accessing learning content and thus makes your digital learning strategy much more visible in everyone’s eyes. Similarly, we spoke of accessibility as one of the restricting factors in the success of digital learning strategies. But what if you could learn anywhere, anytime, and in the way you want? AI is making such adaptations possible, and organizations are loving them. In the 2024 LinkedIn Learning Report, we saw that coaching is used as a booster shot for career progression by many organizations, with about 47% actively using it. AI is set to double down on the impact.
We have worked on a few of these ideas and added them to Merlin, our AI coach for leadership development. On top of customized coaching to meet the unique needs of people managers, Merlin now offers:
  • An interactive voice mode along with chat mode for coaching
  • Support in 40+ languages across both the modes
  • Custom integrations to include company values in coaching sessions
And this is just the beginning! Voice mode is quite helpful in expressing unclear and abstract ideas in a coaching conversation, which often involves thoughts that are harder to put into words precisely. It’s hassle-free for everyone who wants to add a minute-long note to their coach before heading into yet another meeting.
Similarly, multiple languages are needed to make coaching easier and accessible for everyone. The coaching industry may be big, but it’s highly concentrated in a few regions and biased toward English speakers, thus leaving others at an automatic disadvantage. Adding company-specific culture and value-related notes also ensures that there’s a touch of you and your vision in every conversation that goes on. Plus, it saves your team members from digging into long PDFs featuring lists of do’s and don’ts. There’s more to come with greater tech innovation in the L&D space.

# 4 Giving Digital Learning the Space to Grow with You

Who doesn’t love a product packed with features and constant updates, right? But do you really need something to convert every document into a quiz with multiple-choice options? Probably not. Your digital learning strategy should always be rooted in the reality of your needs for success. Plus, we both know how learning budgets work. Let’s be frugal over prodigal. Thus, a good learning strategy will include prioritization. Let me expand on prioritizing essential features for digital learning with a practical example of a company that wants to train 500 employees on safety protocols. We will implement this digital learning strategy in two phases.
Phase 1: Core Needs Assessment Essential Features
  • Basic reporting
  • Basic content delivery system
  • Simple assessment tools
  • Progress tracking
  • Mobile accessibility
Here the focus lays on getting the system up and running. This means creating the basic video lectures, thinking of the main elements of technical infra you need like playback options, some ways to assess to learning like quizzes and completion certificates to get started.
Phase 2: Nice-to-Have Features
  • Advanced analytics
  • Gamification
  • Social learning tools
  • AI-powered recommendations
  • Custom branding
Later, as you move forward, you can consider adding more elements, like AI-enabled personalization to match what the learner needs more precisely, offering options to share and collaborate on assignments, and so on. Similar to how we think of an organizational learning maturity model, we need a digital learning maturity model in place which can help us progress step-wise rather than brute force a 0-1 change.
For instance, the initial phase starts with ad-hoc adoption of digital learning. It can mean an online course here and there, using tracking systems online, and sharing information over PDFs rather than traditional booklets. But all of this is without an LMS or any such platform at the center. In the second phase, as people gain trust in these methods, they become standard for some areas of the organization. You get digital learning advocates within your organization; some features are mentioned in L&D strategy documents. Phase 3 of digital learning maturity makes things real, wherein there is increased adoption, ideally through a central platform. More interactive options are available, and data tracked digitally informs decisions about learning and development initiatives. Ultimately, toward the last phase, your organization develops into an avid user of a digital learning strategy with a focus on getting the best and latest on board. It could mean anything from AI-led personalized efforts to heavy use of analytics or even creating digital learning that is used outside the scope of your organization and puts you out as the leader in the arena.
In the initial phase, your team might not be ready to adopt the solutions you suggest, no matter how easy they can make lives. You will meet resistance and people favoring the status quo over anything and everything. The key is to be realistic with digital learning strategies regarding what you want to do, what you can do, and how you can do it best. I discussed a few more ideas on the future of learning strategies in a recently recorded podcast with Inna Horvath, check it out here:
In conclusion, a good digital learning strategy depends on having clear goals, focusing on the learner, and mixing technology with teaching methods. It is important to understand how digital learning is changing. This helps us deal with challenges and find new chances. By setting clear and measurable goals, meeting learner needs, and wisely using technology, you can improve your learning programs. Having a complete view that connects learning results with business goals makes a strong and effective digital learning strategy. Remember, the key is to adapt to the changing needs of modern workplaces while putting learners first.

Get Started with the Free L&D Strategy Framework!

Grab free L&D resources and more for holistic growth of people managers.
Only on Risely.

Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper

Deeksha SharmaFeb 19, 20257 min read
Experiential Learning Approaches with Janis Cooper Have you heard of leadership development programs that include horses? If not, you are…

Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb

Deeksha SharmaFeb 18, 2025
Handling Emotions at Work Effectively | Reiner Lomb Emotions are what make us human. But that’s also the part we…

Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Leadership Journey Examples on the RiseUp Radio Podcast Leadership isn’t a destination – it’s a journey filled with twists, turns,…

Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn

Deeksha SharmaFeb 16, 2025
Decoding Servant Leadership Principles with John Horn In this conversation with John Horn, a practitioner of the servant leadership style…

What is Immersive Learning? A New Era in Education

Avantika AnandFeb 15, 2025
In this blog, you’ll learn what is immersive learning and how it is changing training, increasing engagement, and influencing the…
Exit mobile version