This in-house programme is designed for aspiring, new, and current team leaders who want to build practical leadership and management skills. Delivered as live online classrooms across Aotearoa New Zealand, this course gives you the confidence, tools, and mindset to guide teams effectively.
Many leaders are promoted based on technical ability and left to “wing it.” This program closes that gap, covering the fundamentals of people management and providing techniques you can apply straight away.
This course complements any leadership development programme.
Want to run this course in-house? Yes we can do that!
Team Leader Training Course Snapshot
Duration: 8 weeks, with 2 x 75-minute live online classes per week (16 sessions total)
Commitment: 2.5 hours of class time per week + reflection and practice time
Attendance: 13 of 16 sessions required to graduate
Cost per learner: $1000 + GST (for four or more learners)
Format: Virtual classrooms via Zoom, interactive and collaborative
Who it’s for: Aspiring, new, or existing team leaders, managers and supervisors, with little or no formal training
Minimum number of learners: 4 learners (or if two learners, price increases to $1,500+GST per learner)
Got only one learner? Check out our Team Leader 1:1 Coaching Programme.
Workshop 1: Kick-off & whanaungatanga
Build connections with classmates, understand course principles, set protocols, and test technology.
Workshop 2: Mindset for learning
Explore learning preferences and strategies to get the most from the course.
Workshops 3–4: Mindset for management
Examine what leadership means, why technical skills don’t guarantee success, and create a personal 90-day plan.
Workshops 5–7: Advanced communication
Learn active listening, questioning techniques, overcoming cognitive biases, and improving non-verbal and written communication.
Workshops 8–9: Coaching and empowerment
Develop skills in delegation, problem-solving, and motivating teams without micromanagement.
Workshop 10: Delivering feedback
Apply the BE COOL feedback model, deliver feed-forward, and set SMART goals to improve performance.
Workshops 11–12: Resilience and growth mindset
Strengthen resilience, change agility, and adaptability to lead confidently through challenges.
Workshop 13: Time management basics
Apply practical techniques to manage meetings, coaching, emails, and competing priorities.
Workshops 14–15: Magic meetings
Run inclusive and productive team meetings, manage difficult conversations, and introduce employee-led development sessions.
Workshop 16: Psychological safety and graduation
Learn to create safe, collaborative environments where ideas thrive. Conclude with reflection and course graduation.
How it works
Flexible delivery
This training is delivered online via Zoom, allowing you to join from home, the office, or anywhere with internet access. No travel or parking required.
We also offer face-to-face training for groups of four or more, available nationwide, as well as one-on-one coaching tailored to individual needs.
Interactive virtual classrooms
Sessions are highly interactive, using group discussions, whiteboards, polls, quizzes, and collaboration tools.
For those less comfortable speaking in groups, anonymous tools such as word clouds and voting provide ways to participate.
Time commitment
Each session is 75 minutes long, with two sessions per week. We recommend setting aside an additional 15 minutes after each session for reflection and planning.
The programme can also be delivered as a series of half day workshops for faster completion.
Extra coaching hours can be purchased for an additional fee.
Manager involvement
We encourage learners to regularly discuss progress with their manager. This accountability helps embed new skills and ensures the business sees a return on its investment.
School term scheduling
Avoid school holiday clashes and stress. We can accommodate your working parents by scheduling training during term time.
Equipment needed
A laptop or computer with a webcam and a microphone. Headphones are recommended for workplace participation. Any required software (free versions) will be arranged prior to the course start.
Benefits of team leader training
Stronger leadership
Gain the skills to inspire, guide, and influence your team effectively.
Clear communication
Build confidence in managing conversations and workplace relationships.
Engaged teams
Motivate and support staff, improving morale and retention.
Improved performance
Boost collaboration, productivity, and results across the workplace.
Resilience and agility
Lead confidently through uncertainty and change.
Payments and refunds
Instalments
Choose to pay weekly or fortnightly with our flexible “pay as you learn” option.
Missed sessions
If an employee misses a class, we provide materials or arrange one-on-one catch-up sessions (additional fees may apply).
Attendance
To graduate, you must attend at least 13 out of 16 classes. Contact us in advance if absences are unavoidable.
Refund policy
If you cannot complete the course, we’ll refund the remaining sessions minus a 20% administration fee.
Complementary courses
Explore these courses to complement your leadership journey and create a well-rounded development pathway for new and emerging leaders.
Social Intelligence Training
Improve workplace relationships by understanding different working styles.
Why choose Epic People?
Our approach is designed specifically for New Zealand SMEs, giving new and aspiring leaders the confidence and skills to manage people effectively. With over 30 years’ experience in HR and leadership development, we combine proven frameworks with practical, interactive learning that helps team leaders apply what they learn straight away in their workplace.
Ready to build epic leaders?
If you’re ready to invest in your leaders and unleash the capability of your workplace, Epic People is here to help. From team leader training to social intelligence workshops, we design development pathways that build epic leaders and create lasting impact.
Get in touch today to find out how we can support your leaders and your business.
Team leader training FAQ's
What training does a new team leader need?
New team leaders need more than technical knowledge. They need to learn how to lead people.
Good team leader training should cover the everyday skills managers need to communicate clearly, delegate effectively, coach employees, give feedback, manage performance, run productive meetings and handle difficult conversations. It should also help new leaders make the mindset shift from being responsible mainly for their own work to achieving results through other people.
Our Team Leader Training programme covers these core skills, along with resilience, time management, psychological safety and leading through change.
Who is team leader training suitable for?
Team leader training is suitable for employees who are about to move into their first leadership role, recently promoted team leaders, supervisors and managers who have never received formal leadership training.
It can also be useful for experienced team leaders who have learned largely through trial and error and want to strengthen their people-management skills.
How do you go from team member to team leader?
Going from team member to team leader requires a shift in both skills and mindset. Instead of being responsible mainly for your own work, you become responsible for helping other people succeed.
That means learning how to set clear expectations, delegate rather than doing everything yourself, give constructive feedback, coach people through problems and have difficult conversations when something isn’t working.
It can also mean learning how to lead people who used to be your peers – one of the trickier parts of becoming a team leader.
You don’t need to have all the answers before stepping into leadership. But learning the core skills of managing people early can make the transition much easier and help you avoid some of the common mistakes new team leaders make.
What skills are covered in the Epic People Team Leader Training programme?
Our Team Leader Training programme develops practical skills that team leaders can use immediately in the workplace. Topics include:
- leadership mindset and transitioning into management
- advanced communication and active listening
- questioning skills and cognitive bias
- coaching and employee empowerment
- delegation and avoiding micromanagement
- giving constructive feedback
- goal setting
- resilience, growth mindset and change agility
- time management
- running effective team meetings
- managing difficult conversations
- employee-led development conversations
- building psychological safety.
The emphasis throughout the programme is on turning leadership concepts into things leaders can actually do differently when they get back to work.
Is this course suitable for someone with no previous management training?
Yes. The programme is specifically designed for aspiring, new and existing team leaders, supervisors and managers who have had little or no formal leadership training.
We don’t assume participants already know management theory or HR terminology. The focus is on understanding the fundamentals of leading people and learning practical techniques they can apply to everyday situations.
Is team leader training different from management training?
There is considerable overlap, but team leader training usually focuses on the practical people-management skills needed by frontline leaders.
Team leaders are often responsible for allocating work, communicating expectations, coaching employees, giving feedback, running meetings and dealing with day-to-day people issues. They may be very capable technically but have had little preparation for managing people.
Our programme has been designed specifically to bridge that gap.
Can team leader training help with difficult conversations and performance issues?
Yes. Team leaders need to be able to address problems early rather than avoiding uncomfortable conversations until they become bigger issues.
Participants learn how to give clear, constructive feedback, set expectations and goals, ask better questions and approach difficult conversations with greater confidence. The programme also develops listening and communication skills, which are essential when dealing with disagreement, performance concerns or sensitive workplace conversations.
Can team leader training help prevent micromanagement?
Yes. Micromanagement is common among new leaders, particularly when they have been promoted because they were very good at doing the work themselves.
The programme teaches leaders how to delegate, coach and support problem-solving rather than automatically stepping in and taking over. This helps employees build capability and gives the team leader more time to focus on the responsibilities that come with leading a team.
Is the Team Leader Training programme available throughout New Zealand?
Yes. Epic People’s Team Leader Training programme is available throughout New Zealand.
The programme can be delivered through live, interactive online classrooms, so participants can join from anywhere in New Zealand. Face-to-face training is also available for workplace groups of four or more.
Can you provide team leader training in-house for our organisation?
Yes. We can deliver Team Leader Training for groups within your organisation and can discuss the delivery format that works best for your people.
Training can be delivered online or face-to-face, and the programme can also be delivered as a series of half-day workshops where a shorter timeframe is preferred.
How long is the Team Leader Training programme?
The standard programme runs over eight weeks and includes 16 live, 75-minute sessions, with two sessions each week.
Spreading the learning over several weeks gives participants time to try techniques in their workplace, reflect on what happened and continue developing their skills as the programme progresses.
The programme can also be delivered in a different format for in-house groups.
Is online team leader training interactive?
Yes. The online programme is delivered as a live virtual classroom rather than a self-paced online course.
Sessions use discussions, activities, polls, quizzes, whiteboards and other collaborative tools. We also provide ways for people who are less comfortable speaking in groups to participate anonymously.
The aim is for participants to practise, discuss and apply what they’re learning rather than simply sit and listen to a presentation.