Leadership Engagement Accelerator (LEA) Program Guide

1. Program Introduction & Benefits

The Leadership Engagement Accelerator (LEA) is a six-month, evidence-based development program designed for professionals to measurably increase team engagement. It moves beyond theoretical leadership concepts to focus on practical, behavioral change. The program employs a 70-20-10 learning model, integrating proven frameworks like GROW coaching, Situational Leadership, and ADKAR to equip leaders with the skills to directly influence engagement drivers such as psychological safety, recognition, and clarity within their teams.

Strategic Benefits for Professionals & the Organization:

1. Measurable Performance Improvement: Directly links leadership development to a key business outcome—increasing team engagement scores to above 4.3/5—which correlates with higher productivity, innovation, and retention.
2. Practical Skill Application: Focuses on "leadership in the flow of work," providing tools and frameworks (e.g., structured 1:1s, feedback models, team workshops) that can be immediately applied to daily management responsibilities.
3. Sustainable Behavior Change: Utilizes habit formation science and action learning cycles to help leaders embed new engagement-focused behaviors into their routines, ensuring lasting impact beyond the program duration.
4. Enhanced Leader Confidence: Addresses common skill gaps in coaching and difficult conversations through practice labs and peer feedback, building leaders' confidence in managing team dynamics effectively.
5. Data-Driven Leadership Culture: Instills a mindset of using team feedback (pulse surveys, qualitative data) to inform leadership actions and co-create solutions with teams, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

2. Program Expansion Strategy

Analysis: The primary program is a comprehensive Leadership Program, not exclusively a Mentorship or Coaching program. However, the goal of increasing team engagement is deeply rooted in behavioral change and interpersonal skills. A supplemental Structured Peer Coaching Circle layer would significantly enhance outcomes by providing a safe, confidential space for leaders to practice skills, troubleshoot real challenges, and gain diverse perspectives.

Value Addition & Implementation: A peer coaching layer adds value by operationalizing the 20% (social learning) component of the 70-20-10 model. It reinforces learning from workshops, accelerates behavior change through accountability, and builds a supportive community of practice, which is critical for overcoming the "skepticism and program fatigue" challenge noted in the research.

• Implementation Note: Integrate bi-weekly, 90-minute Peer Coaching Circles of 4-5 leaders. Each session follows a structured action learning format: a member presents a current engagement challenge, peers ask clarifying and exploratory questions using coaching models (GROW), and the presenter leaves with new insights and a committed action. A trained facilitator guides the initial sessions to establish norms.

3. Implementation Roadmap

Launch Phase Checklist

1. Stakeholder Alignment: Secure sponsorship and communicate the program's business case (link to engagement KPIs) to senior leadership.
2. Participant Selection: Identify and enroll high-potential professionals with team leadership responsibilities. Conduct intake interviews to set expectations.
3. Baseline Measurement: Administer the initial team engagement survey to all participants' teams to establish a clear, quantitative baseline (Week 1).
4. Kick-Off Workshop: Conduct a half-day session to launch the program, introduce the engagement framework, and have leaders draft their initial Personal Leadership Engagement Goal.
5. Tool & Platform Setup: Configure all selected technology platforms (LMS, Social Network) with cohorts, content, and communication channels.

Tracking & Operations

• Program Manager Cadence: Weekly check-ins with facilitators; monthly steering committee updates with sponsors.
• Participant Progress: Track completion of micro-lessons, submission of experiment logs, and participation in coaching circles via the LMS.
• Pulse Checks: Deploy short, monthly pulse surveys (2-3 questions) to participants' teams to gather near-real-time feedback on specific behaviors (e.g., "My manager provided clear feedback this week").
• Mid-Point Review: At Milestone 2 (Week 8), review aggregated pulse data and 1:1 logs to identify common challenges and adjust program focus if needed.

Success Measurement

• Primary KPI: Average team engagement score across all participating leaders' teams > 4.3/5 at final measurement (Week 24).
• Secondary Quantitative KPIs:
  • Delta in engagement score from baseline (e.g., +0.4 points).
  • Increase in specific survey item scores (e.g., recognition, feedback clarity).
  • 95%+ completion rate of core program modules.
  • Number of documented engagement experiments run per team (target: 3+).
• Qualitative Feedback Mechanisms:
  • Thematic analysis of open-text comments from final engagement surveys.
  • Participant reflection journals and final impact stories.
  • "Manager Observation" feedback from a sample of direct reports at program end.

4. Approved Tools List

• LMS (Learning Management System): Primary Tool. This is non-negotiable for delivering the structured curriculum (micro-lessons, video content, readings), tracking completion, housing the resource library, and administering pre/post knowledge assessments.
• Internal Social Network: Critical for Community. Essential for fostering peer learning beyond formal sessions. Used for cohort discussions, sharing success stories and challenges, facilitators posting nudges/prompts, and building a sustainable community of practice.
• Personality Test / 360 Assessment: Used for Self-Awareness. A validated emotional intelligence or leadership style assessment is crucial for Module 1 to build self-awareness, a foundational element of engaging leadership. This provides personalized data for reflection and goal setting.

Justification: An LMS provides the scalable structure for the 10% formal learning. The Internal Social Network enables the 20% social learning and is key to combating isolation for professionals. The Personality/360 Tool delivers the objective self-awareness data required for meaningful behavioral change. Coaching/Mentorship software is not selected as the peer coaching is facilitated within the program structure. An ERG or Onboarding platform is not aligned with the program's core audience and goal.

5. Resource & Content Library

General Program Content

• Video Library: "The Business Case for Engagement," "Demonstrating Active Listening," "A Role-Play: Delivering Feedback Using SBI," "Facilitating a Team Retrospective."
• Article & Guide Library: "Interpreting Your Engagement Survey Heatmap," "The GROW Model: A Cheat Sheet," "Building Psychological Safety: A Leader's Toolkit," "Designing Team Experiments: A Lean Startup Approach," "Habit Stacking for Busy Leaders."
• Templates & Tools: Personal Leadership Engagement Plan template, Structured 1:1 Agenda, Team Charter/Agreement canvas, Feedback & Recognition Log, Engagement Experiment Backlog spreadsheet, ADKAR Change Plan worksheet.

Supplemental Mentoring Content Table

To support the Peer Coaching Circles and the overall goal of improving engagement through better interpersonal skills, the following content is recommended for distribution within the coaching groups.

Soft Skill Focus	Content Title	Format	Purpose for Engagement Goal
Active Listening	"Listening to Understand vs. Listening to Respond"	Micro-video (5 min)	Builds trust and psychological safety by making team members feel heard.
Giving Feedback	"Feedback as a Gift: Framing for Growth"	Guide & Scripts	Equips leaders to deliver constructive feedback that motivates rather than demotivates.
Powerful Questioning	"The Art of the Coaching Question"	Infographic / Job Aid	Helps leaders use inquiry to empower team members, fostering autonomy and growth.
Navigating Conflict	"De-escalating Tensions for Team Health"	Scenario-based Article	Provides tools to address conflicts constructively, preserving team relationships and focus.
Peer Coaching Practice	"The Action Learning Cycle for Peer Groups"	Facilitation Guide	Provides structure for coaching circles to ensure productive, focused sessions on engagement challenges.