Leadership Conversations
The programme at the heart of The Training Rock
Most leadership problems aren’t leadership problems.
They’re conversations leaders didn’t know how to have.
The moment someone avoided giving honest feedback.
The moment a leader stayed silent instead of challenging.
The moment wobbling performance wasn’t addressed early.
You can have the clearest strategy in the world.
The strongest intentions to address problems.
But if you don’t know what to say and how to say it so it actually lands, leadership becomes frustratingly difficult.
Because culture isn’t built in strategy decks.
It’s built one conversation at a time.
And just as often by the conversations leaders don’t have.
That’s exactly what this programme helps leaders master.
The conversations leaders avoid:
Disagreement feels risky
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Leaders stay polite instead of challenging ideas
Honest feedback gets softened
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Performance issues linger longer than they should
Difficult issues get parked
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Everyone knows something isn’t working, but nobody says it
Poor performance goes unchallenged
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Small issues quietly become big ones
Here’s what that looks like in real life:
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“How do I get Sally from accounts to stop interrupting during leadership meetings without making it awkward?”
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“How do I call John out on his rudeness when he’s also the highest performer in the team?”
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“How do I challenge a senior colleague without sounding confrontational?”
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“How do I give honest feedback when someone gets defensive?”
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“How do I address poor performance without demoralising someone?”
Most leaders don’t avoid these moments because they don’t care.
They avoid them because they’re not quite sure what to say.
Or how to say it in a way that will actually land.
So they wing it.
Cross their fingers.
And hope the conversation goes well.
These moments shape culture.
Avoided or mishandled, they create friction, politics and energy-sapping people drama.
Handled well, they build trust, clarity and alignment.
Most leadership training doesn’t help here.
It teaches theory.
It doesn’t teach leaders how to actually have the conversations.
Leadership Conversations
Leadership Conversations is our core leadership programme.
It equips leadership teams with the confidence and practical skills to handle the conversations that shape culture.
Leaders explore their behavioural traits, understand what drives difficult situations and practise the conversations that matter most.
But we don’t ask leaders to “get into pairs and pretend”.
Instead, we work with a professional actor who responds exactly as people do in real life, pushing back, misunderstanding or getting defensive.
We use realistic workplace scenarios based on the conversations leaders face every day.
It’s very common to hear:
“I had to have that exact conversation last week!”
That realism is what makes the practice so powerful.
Leaders leave not just knowing what to say, but feeling ready to handle the real conversations when they happen.
"THE SHIFT WAS IMMEDIATE"
After decades in leadership I thought I’d seen every leadership programme out there.
Then we worked with Jo.
Her programme broke down barriers, rebuilt trust and gave us the tools to lead difficult conversations properly.
The shift was immediate, communication improved, engagement rose and the whole business felt different
This training is based on The Training Rock Method™, which is the result of 25 years of iteration.
We begin with self-leadership because, let’s face it, if you can’t lead yourself what chance do you have of leading anyone else?
Self leadership comes first
Before leaders can handle difficult conversations with others, they need to understand themselves.
Why certain situations trigger them.
Why some people frustrate them more than others.
Why conversations can suddenly feel uncomfortable or defensive.
That’s why this programme begins with the TRAIT Test™.
The Trait Test™
The TRAIT Test™is grounded in the psychology of Carl Jung, the same foundations used by models such as MBTI and the Enneagram.
We’ve simply repackaged that psychology to make it more accessible, memorable and practical for leaders.
Using nine memorable Animal Influencers, leaders quickly understand:
• the strengths they bring to leadership
• the situations that trigger their vulnerabilities
• how their behaviour impacts others
• why they find some colleagues are easier to work with than others
And once leaders understand behaviour, something important shifts.
Conversations that once felt difficult suddenly become manageable.
What leaders learn to do:
Disagree well
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Challenge ideas without damaging relationships or trust
Say the hard things
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Address issues early instead of allowing them to turn into people dramas
Give feedback that lands
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Honest conversations that improve performance
Keep performance on track
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Tackle conversations early instead of letting them quietly grow
How this programme works
Leadership Conversations is delivered as a multi-week programme for leadership teams.
We work together over a series of focused online sessions where leaders explore their default behaviours, understand their triggers and practise the conversations that shape culture.
This spacing matters.
Because the real change doesn’t happen during the session.
It happens between sessions; when leaders try the conversations in real life, reflect on what worked (and what didn’t), then come back ready to go again.
Week by week, leaders build confidence.
Week by week, conversations start happening sooner.
And over time, the culture begins to shift.
Because leadership behaviour doesn’t change through theory.
It changes through practice.
Nobody said it was easy though….
This work requires a growth mindset
Our Leadership Conversations Programme is practical, honest work.
It asks leaders to look at how their own behaviour shapes the culture around them.
Because before we hold up the mirror to others, we have to be willing to look in it ourselves.
To notice the habits that sometimes get in people’s way.
To understand the impact we have on others.
And to make deliberate choices about how we show up as leaders.
For leaders who are open to that level of reflection, the results can be transformational.
But it does require more than simply turning up.
It requires curiosity, openness and a willingness to look honestly at your own leadership, including the uncomfortable bits.
"NOTHING SHORT OF TRANSFORMATIONAL"
“This course is nothing short of transformational, as long as those who attend are open minded, brave and committed to maximising the opportunity. The potential impact on an organisation is limitless which makes the investment arguably one of the more important investments a business could make.
Fantastic, insightful and hugely valuable.”
Already worked with us? Or looking for something shorter?
The multi-week programme creates the deepest and most lasting change.
But sometimes organisations need something faster.
If budget is tight or if you’ve already worked with us and your leaders are ready for intensive conversation practice, take a look at the Difficult Conversations Lab.
A one or two-day experience focused almost entirely on practising difficult workplace conversations in a safe, structured environment.
Fast-paced. Practical. Very real.
TRUSTED BY
Is this right for your business?
If you have leaders who aren’t equipped to have the difficult conversations they need to be having then the answer is yes. Regardless of what industry you work in.
Because it’s not about the industry, it’s about the people.
From start-ups to global corporations, here are a handful of industries we’ve worked with:
- Accounting services
- Design
- Education
- Engineering
- Financial services
- Government Think Tank
- Healthcare
- Legal services
- Marketing and communication
- Professional Services
- Media and entertainment
- Recruitment
- Retail
- Sport
- Technology
- Transportation
- Travel
- Beer (that was fun!)
"EMPOWERING TRAINING"
“This is really valuable and empowering training, delivered with heart, wisdom and humanity.”
Ready to transform your leadership conversations?
Leadership Conversations is delivered in-house for leadership teams who want a culture of clarity, trust and honest dialogue.
If you’re ready for leaders who can disagree well, give feedback that lands and keep performance on track…
Let’s talk.