The Leader’s Foundation: For Emerging Leaders
If you’re just beginning your path as a manager, this program is for you. We’ll show you how to build authority without “playing the boss,” how to build self-confidence, grow your self- awareness, and manage effectively – yourself, your team, your energy, and your priorities.
You’ll discover how to delegate wisely, motivate those around you, and apply our Leading a Winning Team model – a set of competencies that truly make a difference in the everyday life of a new leader.
Each day of this program is a step toward becoming the kind of leader others genuinely want to follow. You’ll go through a series of essential stages that build into a clear, logical process for creating a team that can win – with commitment, purpose, and heart.
Join us if you don’t just want to become a leader, but truly be one.
Who is The Leader’s Foundation for?
- Those stepping into their very first leadership role.
- Team members who’ve just been promoted to lead their former colleagues.
- Employees preparing for a new role with more responsibility.
- Current leaders (with experience up to 3 years) who want to become more effective.
- Anyone who wants to grow into a confident, effective leader.
- People who aspire to lead with inspiration, support, and results.
What will you gain?
- Learn how to build authority and confidence in your new role.
- Gain insights from experienced leaders with years of hands-on management practice.
- Develop key skills in self-awareness, team management, delegation, motivation, and much more, based on the Leading a Winning Team model.
- Learn directly from mentors who share practical knowledge rooted in real business challenges.
- Get full training materials – including a handbook with practical exercises
- Take part in an evidence-based program, built on proven, research-backed methods.
Upcoming dates
May 11-12, 25-26, 2026 / Krakow / PL (4 days)
June 15-16, 29-30, 2026 / Krakow / PL (4 days)
Leading a Winning Team
The Leader’s Foundation is based on our leadership competency framework: Leading a Winning Team™
Model
This model combines the practical experience of Leaders Island mentors with insights from years of research on what drives leadership effectiveness.
Competencies
Leader’s competencies are grouped into:
- Three key areas of leadership activity: Leading, Winning, Team
- Three perspectives in which every leader operates: Myself, Team, Organization
Together, they create a clear framework that supports the effective growth of both leadership skills and career development.
Training Modules
Module 1 | Leading / Myself
Focus: self-awareness and reflection. Through case studies and practical exercises, you will:
- Explore self-discovery tools to deepen self-awareness and work more effectively with your team.
- Define your role within the team.
- Learn how to build leadership authority.
- Understand how influence works.
- Identify your best sources for leading a team.
Module 2 | Team / Others
Focus: leading people. You’ll learn how to:
- Harness the power of diversity within your team.
- Build team identity while supporting each member’s individual growth.
- Define and communicate clear principles that drive collective success.
Module 3 | Winning / Others
Focus: achieving goals together. You’ll discover how to:
- Organize, engage, and align people to win as a team.
- Strengthen your team to deliver on key objectives.
- Set goals and monitor progress through effective delegation.
- Manage your time and personal effectiveness.
- Motivate and engage team members.
- Communicate effectively and give constructive feedback.
- Foster psychological safety and well-being.
- Lead through change.
- Plan your personal growth and everyday leadership practice.
Leaders Island – Where Mindset Becomes an Advantage
For years, we’ve been helping ambitious people like you – those who won’t settle for
average. Leaders Island isn’t just another training company. It’s a place where future leaders discover their true strength.
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Meet your mentors
Depending on the edition, your program will be led by experienced Leaders Island mentors who bring a wealth of business practice to the classroom.
Krzysztof
Raś
Over 200 “W Pełni Dźwięków” radio broadcasts still live somewhere on the Internet.
Leaders Island in numbers
100+
trainings and workshops every year
1000+
leaders supported annually in their careers
82
Net Promoter Score
What others think about this training
The workshop for managers, who want to develop their communication skills.
BLUMENBECKER ENGINEERING POLSKA has been cooperating with Leaders Island since the beginning of 2017. As part of the training programs we implement, our employee-managers at all levels took part in both closed and open trainings in the fields of team building and management, as well as other managerial skills, including: : “The Foundations of a Young Leader, “Communication is Your Work”, “Reaching Agreement in the Organization. Managerial Mediation” (podlinkować)
People participating in LI’s trainings highly appreciate the methods, substantive and practical content, as well as their professional organization. We can certainly recommend Leaders Island as a professional partner in the field of training programs for managerial staff.
The training organized by Leaders Island is, above all, very well-suited to the level of knowledge and experience of the participants, and at the same time full of professionalism. The topics, stories and examples discussed are specific and authentic, and it seems that every Leader has or will soon encounter them in practice. In addition, the mentor’s extensive experience, incredible commitment and individual approach are admirable and influence the participants’ motivation to act, change and leave their comfort zone. And all this in a very friendly, natural atmosphere. I recommend experiencing it for yourself, because in fact, a leader at ANY level of advancement will be able to find valuable tips to implement in both their professional and private life.
The training (note: “The Foundations of a Young Leader”) was great. I really like the formula where, after a short introduction, you work in smaller groups on the problem and then discuss the results together. It makes you think and reflect. It brings us closer to knowing ourselves, and this seems to be one of the key things on the way to leading a team effectively. I appreciate it when people sharing knowledge use theory, but also have practical experience. It is clear that Józef is a practitioner with good theoretical preparation.
I can definitely recommend this training to anyone who strives to be a better leader.
When I faced the challenge of changing my path from an engineering to a management one, LI accompanied me from the very beginning (and still is). My first training, and in retrospect, probably the most important, was the “Leader’s Foundation“. For me, this training was a gateway to another world; instructions on how to move away from the “closed” engineering approach to reality and open up to others (to change the Mindset). The Leader’s Foundation is an excellent introduction to another very important, even key training “Communication is Your Work“. Looking back, I can safely say that without a solid “foundation” it is impossible to build something that will bear fruits for years
Read recommendations of dozens of satisfied specialists.
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FAQ
You can find the nearest date above. If you want to know the next ones, write to us at: biuro@leadersisland.com
The workshop is held on-site in Krakow (Podole 60 street) and runs from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM / 5:00 PM (with a 1-hour lunch break); online, or at the client’s premises in the case of closed training sessions.
Yes. The “Leader’s Foundation” training is also available in English, as well as online. If you are looking for more information, write to us at: biuro@leadersisland.com
At the main reception desk, you need to collect an access card and sign the attendance list, and then head to the training room. The way to the room is marked with “Leaders Island” signs. In case of any problems, please call: 885 548 003 (Aleksandra Stoch).
You can find all the information in our training regulations at this address. If you have any additional questions, write to us at: biuro@leadersisland.com
The ONLINE workshop does not differ in any way in terms of content or the value delivered, compared to the classroom training. All elements that influence the interactivity of the workshop, the engagement of the Participants, and the laboratory form of this experience have been preserved. We collect highly enthusiastic feedback in our surveys after online workshops.
Not at all. Our motto is building awareness and developing competencies in practice; theory is just an addition. The years of business and psychological experience of our practitioner-mentors, interactive exercises, time for feedback and conversation with the mentor, and group discussions build lasting change and enrich the “craft of a leader“. We also enrich the topics of the workshops with the results of the latest research in the field of business psychology and sociology, such as the “Leadership Competence Index“. Evidence-based development and conscious leadership are crucial to us.
You will get to know a set of all competencies necessary for leaders that are useful in building and leading effective teams. The competencies developed during the training cover 3 main areas according to our proprietary Leading Winning Team ™ model. Within each of the areas, you will get to know tools and gain leadership skills, including: building motivation and engagement, conducting conversations with coworkers, working with goals, measuring effectiveness, or self-management in time and delegating tasks and responsibilities. There will be a lot of interaction, discussion, and individual work, in pairs and groups, in the room. Together with the mentors and the group, we will build a real “craft and toolkit” for leaders to help develop conscious leadership.
The main mentors of the workshops are Dawid Ostręga, Ania Gawlikowska, and Krzysztof Raś. We are practitioners in building and managing teams in the technology areas. Dawid has managed in companies such as EPAM System, IBM, SolarWinds, and SKK. Outside of business, he is a coach of the national American football team and a scoutmaster. Ania has worked for many years in a dynamic start-up and IT environment, she is a former university lecturer and translator. Krzysztof built two branches of leading technology companies from scratch, which today employ hundreds of software engineers, mainly programmers, and after hours he is a podcaster and recruitment specialist. This is a group of practitioners who have experience not only in working with leaders but also in extreme “fire” situations in teams and projects.
Would you like to learn more about the training? Let's talk
- Katarzyna Raś
- Head of Learning & Partnership
- +48 669 530 113
- biuro@leadersisland.com
- Make an appointment:
Would you prefer to get in touch via the form? You’re welcome to.
Please reach out to us via email at biuro@leadersisland.com through our form, or by calling phone: +48 669 530 113
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