Multimodal learning in modern leadership development

Many managers do not arrive at their role via a traditional, prepared career path. They were technically strong, committed, and reliable—and then suddenly responsible for people. Making decisions, resolving conflicts, balancing expectations, providing guidance. Often without ever having systematically learned how leadership actually works.

People who are about to take on their first leadership role, on the other hand, sense that their role will change fundamentally. That professional expertise alone is no longer enough. And that leadership requires different skills than operational excellence. At the same time, many organizations do not give them the space to prepare for this new responsibility in a conscious and structured way—before they are called upon to do so in their day-to-day work.

Both groups have one essential thing in common: responsibility grows faster than the opportunity to really learn leadership.

One participant in our PASSIONATE LEADERS Masterclass put it this way:

"For a long time, I thought I just had to be able to do it all. It was only here that I realized: leadership isn't a talent—it can be learned." Florian Pingoud, VOLKSWAGEN

Why occasional training sessions are often insufficient

Many organizations respond to this situation with traditional leadership training courses. Two days of input, a toolkit of methods, and a good feeling on the way home. And then? Everyday life catches up with you again.

The problem lies not in the training itself, but in the understanding of learning. Leadership is not a knowledge deficit that can be closed once and for all. It is attitude, behavior under pressure, relationship building. And all of this does not come from listening, but from applying, reflecting, and repeating.

Leadership development takes time. And it requires a framework that consistently combines learning with real-world practice.

What effective leadership development really needs today

If you want to develop leadership in a sustainable way, you have to consider three levels together: the person, the role, and the organizational context. It's about self-leadership as well as communication, clarity as well as impact within the system.

What's more, leadership today rarely takes place in a closed corporate environment. Networking, cooperation, matrix structures, and external dependencies are on the rise. Managers operate in increasingly complex systems—often across organizational boundaries.

Another participant sums it up:

"I didn't just learn methods. I understood why I react the way I do in certain situations—and what specific changes I can make." (M. Gräber - OTTO Group)

This is precisely where the PASSIONATE LEADERS Masterclass comes in.

The PASSIONATE LEADERS Masterclass: A learning journey instead of a seminar

The PASSIONATE LEADERS Masterclass is deliberately not a one-off event. It is designed as a continuous learning journey over several months. Not to cover as much content as possible, but to enable real change in everyday leadership.

It is aimed at people who

• who already have leadership responsibilities
• who have grown into leadership roles without ever having systematically learned how to do so,
• Those who are about to take on responsibility for others.

The focus is on combining knowledge, application, and personal development—always in line with the real challenges faced by participants.

Why the multimodal approach makes all the difference

Effective development requires different learning spaces. That is why the PASSIONATE LEADERS Masterclass combines several formats into an integrated whole.

The video course and digital workbook create a common foundation. They teach key models, methods, and clear language for leadership—supplemented by reflection questions that lead directly into your own everyday life. Here, learning is not consumed, but prepared.

In live webinars and mastermind groups, participants contribute their specific leadership situations. Collegial consultation gives rise to new perspectives, clarity, and often relief. Many experience here for the first time that their challenges are not individual failures, but rather expressions of structural relationships.

The in-person workshops deepen this work. They create space for relationships, trust, and emotional involvement. Communication is practiced, attitudes are experienced, and leadership is felt.

One-on-one coaching sessions are a key component. These sessions address personal issues that cannot be resolved in a group setting: inner barriers, recurring patterns, specific decision-making situations. The goal is not self-optimization, but effectiveness. Or, as one participant put it:

"The coaching was the moment when insight turned into real change." (Jan Schellstede - A&T Group)

All this is complemented by a regular program newsletter that provides guidance, inspiration, and helps participants stay on track. Development should not fizzle out between modules, but remain present in everyday life.

Learning in a network – a conscious choice

The PASSIONATE LEADERS Masterclass can be held exclusively for individual organizations. It also deliberately offers the opportunity to learn in a cross-company network.

This approach proves particularly valuable in times of increasing interconnectedness and complexity. Many structural leadership challenges are similar across companies, even if the contexts differ. Exchanging ideas with leaders from other organizations broadens perspectives, puts one's own patterns into perspective, and promotes systemic thinking.

Learning in a network is not a must, but an invitation: to work together on issues that can no longer be solved in isolation.

What participants really take away at the end

At the end of the masterclass, the focus is not on the certificate, but on tangible changes: greater inner clarity, more confident communication, and more conscious decision-making under pressure. Managers find themselves more capable, effective, and clear in their role.

Or, as one participant said in retrospect:

"Previously, I acted mainly intuitively, but today I manage much more consciously. And that makes a real difference." (Angela Propfpreis - Terre des Hommes)

An invitation to a meeting

The PASSIONATE LEADERS Masterclass is aimed at people who bear responsibility—or are about to. At organizations that don't want to leave leadership to chance. And at all those who know that sustainable development requires time, structure, and good support.

If you would like to find out whether this learning journey is right for you or your organization, we invite you to get in touch with us. No obligation. But with clarity.

‍