The Purpose of Management & Principles of “Followership”

In our opening session, we’ll review the Final Exam, outline what the course covers, and—most importantly—explore why each concept matters.

We’ll connect the principles of management and “Followership” to real-world leadership challenges you face every day.

One-on-One Meetings

Our second class centers on the most important meeting in any business—the one-on-one between manager and direct report. We’ll explore the structure and agenda of an effective one-on-one, and how this simple practice builds empathy, compassion, and trust while driving results and retention. It is the manager’s most powerful tool.

We also explore the “20-Bad Habits” and how the skills that drove our individual success can be detrimental to our ability to lead others.

Giving Specific Feedback on Performance & Behaviors

Communication is the foundation of every high-performing team. In our third class, we address the challenge of delivering consistent, effective feedback. For many managers, feedback feels daunting—too personal, too infrequent, or too vague. This session focuses on making feedback specific, objective, and as natural and regular as breathing.

This class also stresses the importance of active listening and how it builds empathy and trust. We also cover the three roles of any business leader.

Goal Setting

Our fourth class centers on one of the core responsibilities of effective coaching—setting goals. Goals aren’t only about new projects or learning; most often they drive productivity. We emphasize the importance of setting specific, measurable goals, and why consistent follow-up is the single most critical element of accountability.

During this class, we also launch the “Feedforwarding” process that was first developed by Marshall Goldsmith and teach the power of handwritten cards.

Delegating

Delegation is the most effective driver of organizational growth—and one of the most challenging skills for leaders to master. In our fifth class, students audit their calendars, compare how they spend time against their true roles and responsibilities, and identify tasks that should be handed to their directs. We then explore how to delegate effectively. Delegation is a muscle: the more you practice, the stronger your organization becomes.

We also explore how core values, when used as filters to hire and manage teams, are the drivers of corporate culture.

We Manage Behaviors

In management, we don’t manage results—we manage behaviors. Our sixth class explores the key interpersonal skills that make up the majority of how we’re measured, and managers must pay close attention to these signals. This is where the principle of “Management by Wandering” comes alive: to truly connect with our people, we must be present and in front of them.

This class also discusses the importance of purpose in one’s work. Finding a simple, yet powerful, purpose gives teams hope and engagement.

Effective Hiring

The first six classes focus on helping managers communicate, coach, and inspire their people to be better every day. But that work becomes infinitely easier when you start with A+ talent—which makes hiring the most important job a manager does.

In our seventh class, we teach managers how to identify the behaviors that drive success, build a proactive bench of talent, and apply a structured hiring process. Students also learn how to write behavioral interview questions that uncover not just skills, but the mindset and habits that lead to lasting performance.

Graduation Day

Our final class ties together the lessons from the previous seven sessions and captures the essence of an effective company culture: the collective behaviors and results of people working in harmony across the organization.

The program concludes with the final lesson in our “Culture in a Circle” curriculum. This session distills how values, purpose, vision, roles and responsibilities, goals, and milestones come together to drive long-term growth and enduring value for any team, organization, or business.