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Description

Manager of Managers: Delegating, Developing and Leading Through the Collective

Lead managers without taking their place or losing touch with operational realities

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

Leading managers is not simply an extension of the experience gained with a team of individual contributors. The reflex of taking back a file, replying directly to a team member or making a call on a manager's behalf undermines that manager, while excessive distance allows inconsistent practices to take hold.

Over two days, this programme clarifies second-line positioning. You define decision-making boundaries, conduct review meetings focused on managerial practice, handle escalations without bypassing your managers and lead your management team as a collective.

Learning objectives

  • Define the decision-making scope of each manager you lead
  • Conduct a review meeting focused on managerial practice
  • Cascade a top-down decision while leaving room for adaptation
  • Handle an escalated situation without bypassing the manager concerned
  • Lead the management collective to align practices
  • Identify and support a manager struggling in the role

What makes this programme different

The split of decisions between the two levels is formalised against participants' real scope
Bypassing situations experienced by participants are replayed and corrected
A managerial review meeting template is built and tested during the session

Programme

1Second-line positioning

What changes when you lead managers

  • Differences between leading a team directly and leading managers
  • Necessary step-back from operational involvement
  • Staying connected to the field without going around your managers
  • Expectations from executive leadership and from the teams

2Allocating decisions

Delegation and control across two levels

  • Mapping decisions by level
  • Stating room for manoeuvre explicitly
  • Selecting indicators and review checkpoints
  • Handling a decision taken against your advice

3Developing your managers

Review meetings and support for managerial practice

  • Observing managerial practice without interfering
  • Review meeting focused on how the person manages
  • Giving feedback on a questionable managerial decision
  • Supporting a manager in difficulty

4Leading the management collective

Building a team of managers

  • Building a collective from managers who compete with one another
  • Aligning practices without imposing uniformity
  • Relaying executive decisions to the collective
  • Rituals for running the management group

Who is it for

Department heads, division directors and managers who lead other managers or are about to take up such a role.

Prerequisites

Prior experience of directly leading a team.

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.