Stop firefighting. Start leading.
Most managers were never taught how to lead people — they were promoted because they were great at the work. How to Lead People is a three-session cohort experience built on the foundational skills that turn good individuals into leaders their teams actually want to follow: clarity, feedback, delegation, and coaching.
Who it's for
First-time managers in their first 18 months
Experienced individual contributors stepping into management for the first time
PMs moving into senior PM roles, supers stepping into project executive roles, controllers leading their first team
Anyone who got promoted on technical skill and is now figuring out the people part
What you walk away with
A framework for managing performance and accountability without micromanaging
Tools for the hardest manager moves: delegating, coaching, giving feedback
Real practice on your own current situations, not generic case studies
A peer cohort (your Board of Directors) you can lean on after the program ends
Cost: $950 / $300 with the code EARLYBIRD (Expires July 1 2026)
What You’ll Learn
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Shift from contributor to collaborative, self-aware leader.
Understand the common challenges when starting out as a manager, particularly when managing former peers
Move from firefighter to fire chief — and overcome the firefighting trap
Create your own Priority Compass to define impact in your role
Use a prioritization tool to understand what's most important
Map your team's priorities against yours
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Build trust, shared understanding, and meaningful collaboration with candor and feedback.
Understand psychological safety and what it takes to build a team that's inclusive, learning, contributing, and challenging
Recognize how the stories and biases you hold may color your reality
Prepare for and practice giving radically candid feedback grounded in facts, not stories
Create a strategy to deliver radically candid feedback in your actual work
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Delegate and coach your team, even when the path isn't clear.
Use your Priority Compass to understand what work you should be delegating
Understand what happens when delegation goes wrong and the steps for effective delegation
Understand the difference between directing and coaching, and when to use each
Practice core coaching skills (the GROW model, active listening, powerful questioning)
Build your action plan
Participants have found “How to Lead People” to be immediately actionable and practical.
“I would not have done delegation at this stage so easily if I did not do this course. The course is priceless, everything I wanted.”
“I found it to be a really practical, hands-on this-is-what-you-do-in-this-situation course for anyone who hasn’t had a lot of management experience or training.”
Recent cohorts have included managers from Google, DocuSign, Fortune 500 companies, national and international nonprofits, scaling startups, and construction firms.
Leadership Intensive Structure
Three Live Virtual Sessions
Over five weeks, you'll participate in three two-hour sessions over Zoom, hosted every other week on the same date / time. We don't believe in reading off slides: you'll have dynamic discussions with your classmates, hear some terrible puns from your facilitator, and be expected to contribute. Expect to spend about an hour in small break-out groups and have a 10-minute mid-session bio/dance break.
Powerful Cohort Experience
You'll be paired with your own Board of Directors — a group of 5-6 who serve as your practice partners, confidants, cheerleaders, and supporters as you experiment with new skills in your normal work. You'll meet with the same group consistently during the live sessions and collaborate on application between sessions.
Facilitator Office Hours
Between each session, you’ll have an opportunity to attend your facilitator’s office hours. Come prepared with your specific challenges and be ready to leave with concrete steps you can take right away.
Frequently Asked Questions
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This is a hands-on experience. We expect you to:
Attend all sessions, cameras on
Practice what you're learning with your real team
Reflect and share takeaways to support your peers' learning
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Three things.
First, every framework, model, and tool in the course is anchored in the Compass Method approach of Uncharted Leadership, our founder Katie Sheketoff's book (Ripples Media, July 2026). This approach
Second, we believe in learning from peers and learning on the job: this is not a straight lecture.
Third, you leave with tools you can use Monday morning, not a list of concepts to remember.
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Yes. We offer customized versions of the Intensive tailored to your organization's culture, values, and goals. Book a consultation to discuss.
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Yes. Reach out to katie@elevatelabs.biz for nonprofit pricing or bulk enrollment for your team. Early bird pricing of $300/seat is available for all cohorts through July 1, 2026.
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Live attendance is the core of the cohort experience. If you miss one session, we'll help you catch up via online materials and a brief 1:1 with your facilitator — but missing two means you should join a later cohort. Email katie@elevatelabs.biz if you're unsure.