If you’ve decided to invest in leadership development within your organization, the next step is to choose between group or individualized training. Maybe previous leadership trainings felt like lighting dollar bills on fire, and you want to make sure you find something that actually works.
Here at The Metiss Group, we’ve designed both options for The Leadership Essentials™ Playbook to meet the unique needs of our clients. But before you pick a path, let’s talk through what each option looks like, so you can decide which option works best for your organization.
First Things First: What Is The Leadership Essentials™ Playbook?
The Leadership Essentials™ Playbook is part of The Metiss Group’s Leadership Academy, tailored for first-time leaders or experienced leaders who need to refresh their foundational leadership skills.
Over 4 to 6 months, participants dive into eight essential leadership practices that provide the tools and techniques needed to guide their direct reports effectively. This program is for people who are in a leadership position and who have a desire for self-improvement and accelerating the performance of their direct reports. It’s offered for individuals and groups of leaders.
The Leadership Essentials Playbook™: Personalized Edition
The personalized version of The Leadership Essentials Playbook™ allows leaders to learn at their own pace through pre-recorded videos and one-on-one coaching.
It all starts with self-discovery. Leaders will go through a multi-science leadership assessment to uncover their behavioral tendencies, strengths, and areas for growth. From there, one of The Metiss Group’s expert coaches helps the leader create a custom development plan.
Each month focuses on one of the eight leadership practices. Here’s the lineup:
- Month 1: Self-discovery
- Month 2: Empowerment
- Month 3: Feedback
- Month 4: Development and one-on-ones
- Month 5: Job scorecards & performance evaluations
- Month 6: Goal alignment & team succession planning
You’ll get new videos each month, paired with coaching and practical application techniques from your advisor.
It’s all built on the 70-20-10 learning model: 70% practical application, 20% coaching, and 10% structured learning (videos). This is designed to make the learning sticky — so you don’t feel like you’re lighting dollar bills on fire when you invest in leadership development.
Cost: $5,000–$8,000 per leader
The Leadership Essentials Playbook™: Group Edition
If you’ve got eight or more leaders who would benefit from leadership development, then the group option might be more your speed.
This version starts just like the personalized one, with self-discovery leadership assessments for each participant and their direct reports. But instead of spreading out the leadership practices over six months, the group program kicks off with a full-day workshop led by one of The Metiss Group’s behavior experts.
This session is an overview of all eight leadership practices, filled with role-playing and team bonding. Whereas the individualized option is great for leaders who want to learn on their own time, this option allows them to feel like a cohort with their colleagues, working together to learn something new.
After the kickoff session, leaders have the opportunity to apply the eight leadership practices in the real world. Next is a one-on-one coaching session with their coach from The Metiss Group, where they can go over how it felt to put those leadership skills to the test.
Then, the group reconvenes for a half-day workshop focused on whichever leadership practices the company needs most. For example, if your team struggles with giving constructive feedback, this session might zero in on that skill.
After another month of real-world application, the leaders wrap up with another coaching session to solidify their progress.
The group format is perfect for fostering a sense of camaraderie. Not only will the leaders be held accountable by The Metiss Group’s behavior experts, but the leaders within your company will also hold each other accountable as they work on their development together.
Plus, the group format is great for team synergy. When every leader within your company is an expert at things like delegation and feedback, your company can truly begin to run like a well-oiled machine.
Cost: Depends on the number of participants, but typically $3,000-$6,000 per leader
What Do Both Options Have in Common?
Despite the differences in process, both versions of the Leadership Essentials™ Playbook share some key elements:
- Self-Discovery: Every participant goes through multi-science assessments to better understand themselves and their teams. It’s the cornerstone of the program.
- 70-20-10 Learning Model: Both formats prioritize practical application, coaching, and structured learning.
- One-on-One Coaching: Whether you choose group or personalized, your leaders will get dedicated time with a trusted advisor from The Metiss Group. They’ll have a trusted advisor in their corner, helping uncover leadership potential and chart a custom path tailored to their strengths, challenges, and goals.
Remember: no matter how great the videos or workshops are, your team can’t lead effectively without applying what they’ve learned in real life. That’s why both options emphasize practical application. They’re not just watching or listening — they’re doing.
Which Option Is Best for Your Organization?
Which one is right for you? The answer really depends on your team’s needs.
If you have a larger group (eight or more leaders), the group option is a fantastic way to build a shared experience. Leaders can practice together, share insights, and hold each other accountable. Plus, there’s something undeniably special about having an expert from The Metiss Group fly in to lead your workshop in person.
On the flip side, if you’re working with a smaller team (or even just one leader), the personalized route is the way to go. It’s all virtual, allowing participants to learn whenever and wherever.
If you’re craving the shared experience of the group option, but you only have a few leaders to develop, take an idea from one of our clients. They had three leaders go through The Leadership Essentials Playbook™ together — so they watched the videos in person together, and they still got to feel like a cohort.
There’s also a difference in investment. Group training has a lower per-head investment, but when you’re focused on just a few leaders, the personalized option provides targeted growth without needing to rally a crowd.
The Bottom Line: It’s About What Your Team Needs
Different teams. Different needs. That’s why we offer both options.
The Leadership Essentials Playbook™ group training brings people together for shared learning and accountability, while personalized training gives individuals the flexibility to grow on their own schedule. Both programs deliver the same leadership practices and follow the same sticky learning model.
At The Metiss Group, we’ve spent over 30 years helping businesses develop leaders, so you can enjoy the success you’ve built with a team that delivers.
Now that you understand which of The Leadership Essentials Playbook™ options is right for you, the next step is to meet with your advisor at The Metiss Group. This call is no pressure, no commitment — it’s just your opportunity to get your questions answered and see if you’d be a good fit for our solutions.
