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Behaviour change for first-time managers

For those stepping up from individual excellence to leading others with confidence and clarity. 

Help your new managers lead, not just manage.

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Behaviours we develop

Most companies promote great performers and expect them to ‘figure out’ leadership. But without real development, confidence drops, burnout rises – and the future leadership pipeline breaks before it even begins. 

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Why first-time leadership matters

Most new managers are set up to fail.  

They’re promoted for performance and then left to figure out people leadership alone. That gap leads to missed feedback, stalled progress and rising burnout. 

Without the right support, new managers default to what they know: doing the work themselves. The cost? Missed feedback, rising burnout, slowed progress - and a leadership pipeline that cracks under pressure.  

How often is this going wrong?  

  • Two-thirds of managers don’t want to be managers any more  
  • Leadership confidence has dropped 30% in the last 25 years 
  • Companies spend $366 billion a year on leadership development but most see little return 

Get this moment right and everything changes. Teams with good managers see a 13% productivity boost. New managers grow faster, their teams perform better, and leadership becomes a multiplier not a bottleneck.  

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Three ways to support your new managers

01 Ready-to-Go Learning Journeys

Need a proven solution to boost the performance of first-time managers?

Our ready-to-go learning journeys are designed by behavioural scientists to tackle the most common, costly and critical blockers vague expectations, feedback avoidance and hands-on micromanagement. They deliver real impact and are ready to launch fast no need to build from scratch. 

Each journey is grounded in behavioural science and built to drive lasting change. And while theyre ready-made, they’re never rigid every module can be adapted to fit your unique context, from adding tools to switching out sessions. 

Take our Manager Conversation Solution below as an example. It equips first-time managers to: 

  • Give feedback that’s clear, confident and constructive 
  • Navigate tough conversations without derailing trust 
  • Coach in the moment and stretch performance without stress 

And with Lio, our AI-powered conversation coach, they get to practise in a safe, realistic environment no awkward role-plays, no judgement. Just smart, adaptive feedback that builds skill and confidence, one conversation at a time. 

Capability that grows, minus the learning curve. 

Note: Click the icons below to reveal details about each step along the journey.

MindGym's behaviour-change framework

Engage

Sparks curiosity and motivation by making learning feel personal, relevant and immediately valuable.

Participate

Transforms passive learning into active discovery through interactive, bite-sized experiences and real-world practice.

Activate

Reinforces new behaviours with structured follow-ups, action planning and continuous feedback to ensure lasting change.

Lio conversation coach

Our AI-powered coach helps leaders practise and master critical conversations including feedback, underperformance and goal setting in a realistic, private and bias-free space and with instant behavioural feedback.

02 Content Subscriptions

Want open access to content that that drives new manager performance?

Our Content Subscriptions give you on-demand access to a full catalogue of content all backed by behavioural science and designed to build the habits that matter most. 

Every module is created by a behavioural scientist and focused on performance outcomes so youre not just choosing content, youre choosing results. And with open access, you can flex what you use and when, based on your priorities. 

Need more impact? Add on tools, diagnostics or nudges to accelerate change.

You can also lean on our expert facilitators to deliver content or certify your internal teams to run it in-house whatever works best for you. 

All
Customer service iconCustomer service

Affinity and beyond

Connect with customers
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Audience:
Managers, Leaders, Individual contributors
Group Size(s):
1,000+
Duration(s):
60 Minutes
Diversity & inclusion iconDiversity & inclusion

All together now

Build an inclusive culture
Learn more
Audience:
Managers, Leaders
Group Size(s):
1,000+
Duration(s):
60 Minutes
Wellbeing iconWellbeing

Are you ok?

Reach out to your people
Learn more
Audience:
Managers
Group Size(s):
Up to 20
Duration(s):
90 Minutes
Performance management iconPerformance management

At the top of our game

How to improve management
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Audience:
Managers
Group Size(s):
1,000+
Duration(s):
60 Minutes
Ethics iconEthics

Barrels not apples

Learn ethics and morals
Learn more
Audience:
Managers
Group Size(s):
1,000+
Duration(s):
60 Minutes
Ethics iconEthics

Before the fall

Dealing with stressful situations
Learn more
Audience:
Managers, Leaders, Individual contributors
Group Size(s):
Up to 20
Duration(s):
90 Minutes
6
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  • 6
  • 9

03 Transformation Solutions

Need a more tailored manager development solution?

We design experiences shaped around your specific goals whether that’s culture shift, capability uplift or behaviour change at scale.  

Our team of behavioural change experts will: 

  • Define what ‘great’ looks like for your managers 
  • Identify the behaviours that will deliver it 
  • Assemble the tools, content and experiences that make change happen and stick 

And because everything we offer is modular, you can flex in what you need when you need it from diagnostics and digital tools to coaching and measurement.  

Fresh thinking

Talent Management in 2025 | Report

Insight to shape the future of work

Informed by global research and senior talent leaders, this report explores the critical trends shaping talent management in 2025. It covers the rise of skills-based organisations, the emerging role of AI in learning and development, the urgent need to evolve leadership capabilities, and strategies to solve the growing ‘productivity paradox.’ Designed for HR and talent professionals, it provides actionable insights to build agile, high-performing workforces in an era of constrained budgets and rapid change.

Download the report

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How we've helped other organisations
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Grow leaders who grow your business

First-time managers are your leadership pipeline.  Get this moment wrong, and you build a bottleneck that slows every level of growth. 

Get it right, and you unlock teams that perform better, stay longer, and build the future. 

Let's make first-time leadership your company's biggest multiplier, not its biggest risk. 

Enquire now