Manager Training for Frontline Leaders

Turn Your Frontline Managers Into Strong Leaders

Develop managers at your organization and help them succeed.

We hear it all the time: “We have managers, but not strong leaders, at our organization.” Often, that’s because what works for successful individual contributors may not work as well for managers — and in fact, sticking to old habits may actually backfire. The reality is, first-level and frontline managers must change their mindsets and skillsets to lead a team successfully. That’s why the transition into management is often the most difficult shift in an individual’s career.

Yet most new managers never receive any help in making the transition into their first leadership role. Organizations are starting to recognize that critical leadership skills must be developed with intention through coaching, mentoring, support, and access to manager training courses … because no one is born a perfect leader; leaders are made. And our proven, research-based manager training programs for frontline and new managers can give them what they need to succeed.

Our Manager Training Programs for Frontline & New Leaders

To understand and motivate others, a leader must be able to shift from the role of a successful individual contributor to being an effective manager of others. 

Maximizing Your Leadership Potential is highly personalized leadership training for new managers — particularly those identified as high potentials — to grow their first-level manager skills and leader effectiveness.

  • Brief, intensive program available in person or live online
  • Highly personalized development including 360-degree feedback and integrated coaching sessions

At most organizations, around 40% of all leaders are frontline managers. How can you equip this large group to be as effective as possible?

Frontline Leader Impact is a moderated online manager training program that enables you to develop large populations of first-level leaders. It brings together our proven, research-driven content and experienced faculty with an intuitive virtual learning platform — it’s scalable leadership training for new managers, with no travel required.

  • Online, asynchronous course format teaches essential skills for new managers
  • Self-paced learning over 6 weeks

Specifically aimed at the 4 core leadership competencies our research has found are needed in every role and career — self-awareness, learning agility, communication, and influence — the Lead 4 Success® program is a simple way to develop large populations of emerging leaders.

This scalable manager training program also works well for individual contributors and professional staff, as it provides a brief overview of effective leadership.

  • Offered live online for open cohorts with our experts, or can be licensed as a scalable manager training via a train-the-trainer model

Train first-time managers with our self-paced, video-based online new manager course, CCL Boost™ for New Leaders, or partner with us for high-impact manager training for your entire population of frontline managers.

Each of our research-based new manager courses can be customized to grow the mindsets, competencies, and first-level manager skills needed at your organization. Bring our frontline leadership programs in-house — with options to include experientials, simulations, integrated coaching, and 360 assessments — all adapted for your unique context and needs.

What Our Clients Are Saying

We measure success by lives touched and impact made. That’s why the organizations we work with and the leaders we develop consistently tell us the same thing: their experience with us is a game-changer. Our manager training courses and solutions have helped to develop critical skills for new managers and grow first-level leaders on the front lines at client organizations around the globe.

But don’t just take our word for it — take theirs.

“[The program] allowed me to acquire new tools to improve my leadership and my new role as manager. I highly recommend this course to anyone who is questioning or wants to improve their leadership.”

Manager Training Program Participant

“One of Ingredion’s priorities is to develop leaders of tomorrow. Our partnership with CCL has allowed managers in our company to flourish through carefully customized programs aimed at unleashing their leadership potential.”

Christopher Lane

Research Fellow 
Ingredion Incorporated

Let’s Talk About Manager Training Courses for New & Frontline Leaders at Your Organization

Our experts are here to help. Get in touch with us about developing skills for new managers and frontline leaders at your organization with our proven manager training courses and programs.

Frontline Manager Leadership Skills: Research & Resources

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Whether you’re an individual contributor, a firstline manager, a mid-level leader, or a senior executive, there are core skills needed, regardless of industry. We call them the ‘Fundamental 4’ leadership skills.

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In every career journey, you’ll need to be able to play each of these 4 leadership roles from time to time. The key comes in your ability to select the right leadership role for any given situation, to play it well, and to shift between roles as appropriate.

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Struggling as a manager? You’re not alone. Learn 12 common challenges faced by new managers as they transition from being individual contributors to leading people and projects.

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New managers must understand the difference in being a boss vs. a leader, because their leadership effectiveness affects the success of their whole team.

More About Frontline & New Manager Courses

What Do Managers Need Most? Support.

Becoming a manager of people requires not just new skills, but a whole identity shift. And making the leap from being an individual contributor to a manager, from a peer to a superior, or from a project manager to a people leader is a big transition for anyone — no matter how intelligent or driven they are.

Many frontline leaders report they find their roles more challenging than they expected, and feel self-doubt and isolation. This makes it all the more important to invest in new manager courses: to help them feel supported and aware of tools to help them succeed and thrive in their new roles.

If your organization wants to strengthen both your leadership pipeline and your bottom line, investing in manager training for the least experienced tier of managers in your organization — your largest population of leaders — will produce real results.

First level manager skills training at the Center for Creative Leadership
New Manager skills development with courses from the Center for Creative Leadership

Proven Manager Leadership Training

Promotions show people you believe in them. Equipping them with the manager training they need to succeed turns that potential into reality.

Our ongoing research ensures that we can equip your leaders for today and the future. Choose from our open manager training courses, or we can craft customized frontline manager programs based on your organization’s unique culture, context, values, and competencies. 

Whether you’re looking to develop high-potential frontline leaders, or scalable ways to provide manager training across a large population of leaders, we offer a variety of research-based manager training courses and programs for frontline and new leaders.

Frequently Asked Questions About Manager Training Courses

We believe that every new manager should be trained on the 4 core leadership skills needed in every role and career: self-awareness, learning agility, communication, and influence. Developing these key leadership competencies builds a strong foundation for individual and organizational success.

We recommend that organizations focus on these 3 ways to develop new leaders, including providing clarity around shifting roles, providing practical tools, and enabling continuity of learning. At the Center for Creative Leadership, we develop new managers by offering them immersive, research-backed courses, programs, and training solutions that are tailored to their specific needs and their organization’s culture.

New managers need to feel supported in their new leadership roles with training that equips them with the skills needed to tackle the new challenges they face. To be most effective, new managers need to make a shift in 6 essential areas: mindset, relationships, attitude, perspective, focus, and skillset.

Our new manager courses are human-centered, research-backed, and highly personalized and engaging — customized to fit the individual and your organization’s unique culture and context. Our decades of research and experience have allowed us to create learning experiences that truly transform new managers into great leaders, providing them with the support, tools, and solutions needed to facilitate a shift in mindset and skillset.

More questions? Our experts are here to help. Let’s have a conversation!