Confident team leaders and capable managers don’t just happen — they’re developed.
At Epic People, our team leader and manager training courses are designed for real New Zealand workplaces. Whether someone is stepping into leadership for the first time or refining their people‑management skills, our practical, engaging courses build the confidence, capability and mindset needed to lead well.
This page brings together all of our leadership courses in one place, so you can easily browse and choose the training that best suits your people, your business, and your stage of growth.
Practical leadership training for today’s workplaces
Many team leaders and managers are promoted because they’re great at their jobs — not because they’ve been trained to lead people. That gap often shows up as performance issues, disengaged teams, uncomfortable conversations, or managers who feel overwhelmed.
Our team leader and manager training bridges that gap. We focus on practical skills that can be applied immediately, grounded in employment law, psychological safety, and modern leadership best practice — without the fluff. You’ll find courses that help leaders:
Step confidently into leadership roles
Manage performance and difficult conversations
Build engaged, high‑performing teams
Recruit and onboard effectively
Coach and develop their people
Understand their legal obligations as managers
Our team leader and manager training courses
Browse our leadership courses below. They’re grouped by focus area to make it easier to find the right training for your leaders.
If you have multiple people requiring team leader and manager training, please contact us about a group discount or arranging for the course to be brought in-house at a fixed price.
Foundational leadership training
Best for: New team leaders, first‑time managers, aspiring leaders, and employees transitioning from peer to leader.
These courses build strong foundations in leadership mindset, core people skills, and day‑to‑day management responsibilities. Ideal for those who are new to leadership or want to strengthen the basics.
Team leader development program
Build the foundations of confident leadership and practical people‑management skills
What this course covers:
Leadership mindset and the transition from peer to leader
Core communication, feedback and coaching skills
Managing time, priorities and expectations
Creating psychologically safe, engaged teams
Who it’s for: Aspiring or new team leaders, supervisors and people‑managers with little or no formal leadership training.
Format: 8‑week programme delivered via live online classrooms (twice weekly). Available in‑house for groups.
A week in the life of a team leader
A realistic leadership simulation that builds confidence, consistency and alignment
What this course covers:
Real‑world leadership scenarios across a typical working week
Decision‑making under pressure
Handling competing priorities and people issues
Building shared leadership standards across teams
Who it’s for: Groups of team leaders, supervisors or managers within the same organisation who want consistent approaches and stronger leadership alignment.
Format: Customised, in‑house simulation‑based workshop.
Employment law basics for managers and business owners
Practical legal knowledge to manage people confidently and reduce risk
What this course covers:
Core employment law obligations for managers
Leave, flexible working and holidays
Managing performance, misconduct and dismissals
Redundancy, restructuring and legal risk areas
Who it’s for: Team leaders, managers, small business owners and HR professionals needing clear, practical employment law guidance.
Format: Flexible delivery options including half‑day workshops, online sessions or in‑house training.
Performance and people management
Best for: Managers responsible for performance conversations, employee wellbeing, and managing risk in people decisions.
These courses focus on the practical realities of managing people — from performance issues and employment law obligations to handling challenging conversations with confidence and care.
Managing poor performance
Lead performance conversations with clarity and confidence
What this course covers:
How to diagnose performance issues and separate performance from behaviour
Frameworks for effective performance conversations
Writing clear expectations and performance plans
Fair and consistent management of performance challenges
Who it’s for:
Team leaders and managers who need the confidence and tools to address performance issues early and constructively.
Format:
Interactive workshop (in-house or virtual), practical scenarios and application to real issues.
Creating and running performance development programmes
Tired of performance reviews that don’t work? Learn how to build and run a performance development programme that drives growth.
What this course covers:
- Core employment law obligations for managers
- Leave, flexible working and holidays
- Managing performance, misconduct and dismissals
- Redundancy, restructuring and legal risk areas
Who it’s for: Leadership teams and HR.
Format: In-house delivery only. One day in-person at your workplace or a training space of your choice.
Advanced and specialist leadership skills
Best for: Experienced managers, senior team leaders, and organisations developing deeper leadership capability.
These courses are designed to extend leadership impact, strengthen people capability, and build specialist skills that support high performance across teams.
Advanced coaching skills for managers
Use coaching to develop capability, ownership and performance
What this course covers:
Advanced coaching models and techniques for managers, eg GROW, OSKAR
Asking powerful questions that drive insight and accountability
Coaching for performance, growth and behavioural change
Embedding coaching into everyday leadership conversations
Managing difficult coaching situations
Who it’s for: Experienced managers and leaders who already use basic coaching skills and want to deepen their impact through more effective coaching conversations.
Format: Advanced workshop (in‑house or virtual) with practice, feedback and real‑world application.
Building high performing teams
Develop collective capability, accountability and teamwork outcomes using our special ‘Zoom In, Zoom Out’ methodology
What this course covers:
Characteristics and behaviours of high-performing teams
Building trust, psychological safety and clarity of purpose
Managing team norms, roles and decision-making
Strengthening accountability and results-focused performance
Aligning goals to the wider aims of the organisation
Enhancing collaboration within the team and across the organisation
Who it’s for:
Experienced team leaders and managers who want to lift team dynamics and performance beyond managing individuals.
Format:
Workshop (in-house or virtual) with practical tools and facilitated team discussion.
Recruitment skills for hiring managers
Hire with confidence and build strong teams from the start
What this course covers:
Designing effective role profiles and selection criteria
Structured interviewing techniques that reduce bias
Assessing capability, values and cultural fit
Making sound hiring decisions and avoiding common recruitment pitfalls
Who it’s for: Managers, team leaders and business owners responsible for recruiting and selecting new team members.
Format: Practical workshop (in‑house or virtual) with tools, templates and application to a real role vacancy.
Why invest in team leader and manager training?
Strong leadership has a direct impact on employee engagement, performance, and retention. When managers are well trained, teams are clearer on expectations, issues are addressed earlier, and workplaces feel safer and more productive.
Our leadership training helps organisations:
Improve team performance and accountability
Reduce costly people issues and turnover
Build confident managers who can lead conversations, not avoid them
Create consistent leadership capability across the business
Support leaders to meet their legal and people responsibilities
Flexible training that works for your business
Our team leader and manager training can be delivered in a range of formats, including:
In‑person workshops (in-house at your place or online)
Virtual training sessions (public workshops, virtual classrooms)
Blended programmes
Customised in‑house training for organisations
All courses are highly interactive, practical, and grounded in real workplace scenarios — not theory for theory’s sake.
Our online virtual classrooms mean we can train dispersed teams. If you’re not in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch, there’s no need to worry about travel and acommodation.
Not sure which course is right?
If you’re unsure which team leader and manager training best suits your leaders, or you’re looking to build a structured leadership development pathway, we can help.
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 people and create a thriving workplace, Epic People is here to help. From leadership development to HR consulting, our training and development approach is designed to inspire success at every level.
Get in touch today to find out how we can support your team’s growth and help you create an epic workplace. We offer phone, online and on-site consultations.
FAQs about team leader and management training
What is team leader development?
It is training and support designed to help people step into or grow within leadership roles. It covers guiding teams, improving communication, building performance, and understanding employment responsibilities.
Who should attend team leader and manager training courses?
New or aspiring team leaders, managers seeking to enhance their skills, and individuals responsible for guiding teams will benefit from these courses.
How long do courses take?
It depends on the course. Some team leader and manager training courses can be completed in a few hours or a single day, while other programmes may run over multiple sessions.
Can experienced managers benefit from management training too?
Yes. Even experienced individuals gain new insights and techniques to refine their leadership and support high-performing teams. Team leader and manager training is useful for people leaders at all levels of experience.
Do courses cover managing poor performance?
Yes, we have a specific course on this, and it’s touched on in other programs.
Do team leader courses cover employment law compliance?
Yes. Our Employment Law Basics course helps managers understand key legal requirements for managing staff and processes.
Are these team leader and manager training courses practical or theoretical?
Our workshops combine theory, easy-to-use frameworks and tools, and real-world scenarios. Leaders leave with practical techniques they can apply immediately.
How are courses delivered?
Our scheduled courses are delivered as interactive online classrooms, meaning learners can attend from anywhere in New Zealand (or the world!). We can also bring courses in-house, delivering them at your workplace if you have a group of people to train. We believe that team leader and manager training should be accessible from wherever you are in New Zealand.
