What Great Managers Do Differently [6-Week Online Certificate Program]

Whether it’s navigating challenging personalities, inspiring high performers, or holding your team accountable without creating resentment, leadership in 2025 requires an updated set of skills!

That’s why What Great Managers Do Differently program is here to transform your leadership approach. 

In this 6-week online program, led by New York Times Bestseller and Forbes Senior Contributor Mark Murphy, you’ll gain the tools, research-backed scripts, and step-by-step strategies that the best leaders use to get 100% performance from every employee. And you’ll only spend about 90-minutes per week.

Here's a quick overview of the program:

• WEEK 1: SETTING CRYSTAL-CLEAR EXPECTATIONS: THE POWER OF WORD PICTURES: Learn how to set crystal-clear expectations and coach your team to achieve exceptional results by focusing on what separates “good work” from “great work.”
• WEEK 2: GIVING FEEDBACK WITHOUT MAKING PEOPLE ANGRY: Master the art of feedback with techniques that foster accountability, growth, and genuine improvement across your team.
• WEEK 3: MANAGING NARCISSISTS, BLAMERS, DRAMATICS, AND MORE: Learn how to manage even the most challenging personalities by turning conflict into collaboration and frustration into progress.
• WEEK 4: DO MORE COACHING AND LESS MANAGING: Unlock the hidden potential in every employee by aligning their work with audacious goals that inspire high performance and career growth.
• WEEK 5: SOLVING THE HIGH PERFORMER CRISIS: Retain your top talent by understanding what truly motivates them and creating an environment where they can thrive and excel.
• WEEK 6: THE LEADERSHIP TIME HACK: PRIORITIZE, DELEGATE, AND EXCEL: Take control of your time and meetings with proven strategies to focus on what matters most, eliminate inefficiencies, delegate more effectively, and boost productivity.

With these proven strategies, you’ll not only elevate your team’s performance but also set yourself apart as a leader who knows how to inspire, empower, and drive results in 2025.

NOTE: For leaders who previously took “The Science and Practices of Managing People,” this program includes three of the same topics (constructive feedback, difficult personalities, and high performers), alongside three new topics (Word Pictures, Coaching, and Time/Delegation). And overall, the entire program offers updated fresh and revised content designed for 2025.

Here's The Detailed Program Curriculum:

Each course in the program includes approximately 1-hour of video presentations. In addition to the video modules, each week will include one assignment and one brief quiz to ensure you learned that week's content. Participants can expect to spend around 1.5-2 hours per week on viewing the video modules and coursework. Here is a listing of all the courses in the What Great Managers Do Differently program.

Week 1: Setting Crystal-Clear Expectations: The Power of Word Pictures

Are your employees unclear about what it takes to succeed? With Word Pictures, you’ll gain a powerful tool to set crystal-clear expectations and eliminate ambiguity in performance standards. This system equips managers to distinguish between good and great performance with vivid, relatable examples, fostering accountability and inspiring excellence. By mastering Word Pictures, you’ll be able to ensure every team member knows exactly what’s expected, creating a culture of transparency and high performance. 

Leaders will learn how to:

• A billionaire's productivity secret: how maximizing 1.2 million labor hours a day transformed his company's success.
• The "Word Picture" technique: a 3-level system that eliminates ambiguity and sets crystal-clear expectations for any role or goal.
• Why avoiding management clichés (like “think outside the box”) will revolutionize how your team understands accountability.
• How defining “needs work,” “good work,” and “great work” aligns teams and boosts performance without micromanaging.
• How redefining success with concrete examples transforms abstract goals into actionable, measurable achievements for your team.
• Transform your team meetings with coaching questions that spark self-awareness, internal ownership, and breakthrough performance.
• How Caesars Palace used five simple principles to improve customer service and generate millions more in revenue.

WEEK 2: GIVING FEEDBACK WITHOUT MAKING PEOPLE ANGRY

Giving tough feedback doesn’t have to result in defensiveness or conflict. This session will teach you the proven I.D.E.A.L.S. feedback script to deliver constructive criticism with confidence. You’ll learn how to remove emotional baggage from conversations, focus on facts, and turn difficult feedback into opportunities for growth. With these techniques, you’ll help your employees make real improvements while preserving trust, respect, and team morale.

Leaders will learn how to:

• A simple six-step script that turns dreaded feedback conversations into collaborative problem-solving.
• The "FIRE Model" for feedback: how stripping away emotional baggage transforms reactions into results.
• Why the compliment sandwich fails—and the science-backed technique that works every time.
• How to approach even the most sensitive employees with confidence while fostering improvement.
• A proven method for handling stubborn team members who refuse feedback without escalating conflict.
• The neuroscience of feedback: harness the primacy and recency effects to ensure your message sticks.
• Master the art of framing feedback as an empowering opportunity rather than a confrontation.

WEEK 3: MANAGING NARCISSISTS, BLAMERS, DRAMATICS, AND MORE

Every workplace has its share of challenging personalities—whether it’s a narcissist, a blamer, or someone who thrives on drama. This session equips you with the tools to manage the Big Four Difficult Personalities effectively (Narcissists, Blamers, Dramatics, and Negatives). You’ll learn specific scripts and strategies to de-escalate conflict, maintain professionalism, and foster a more collaborative and productive team environment. Turn these challenges into opportunities to strengthen your leadership skills and enhance team cohesion.

Leaders will learn how to:

• The four words that disarm dramatic personalities and stop emotional overreactions in their tracks.
• A surprising way to deflate narcissistic behavior without breaking their confidence—or your team’s morale.
• How to redirect blame-prone employees to accountability in under five minutes using a simple conversational tactic.
• A “last-ditch script” for managing talented terrors before they wreak havoc on your team’s productivity.
• The secret to managing negative personalities: turn defeatism into optimism with a three-step reframing technique.
• A psychological insight into why narcissists thrive—and how to use their own insecurities to manage them effectively.
• When all else fails: the no-nonsense approach to handling employees whose attitudes are beyond repair.

WEEK 4: DO MORE COACHING AND LESS MANAGING

The best leaders don’t just manage—they coach. In this session, you’ll discover how to transition from directing tasks to empowering your team through coaching conversations. Learn how to engage employees in meaningful ways, uncover their potential, and guide them toward long-term growth. By focusing on coaching, you’ll not only enhance individual performance but also build a more inspired, motivated, and high-performing team.

Leaders will learn how to:

• The 4-step framework that transforms middle performers into high achievers by unlocking untapped potential.
• A psychological secret to boosting employee confidence and resilience that fuels top-tier performance.
• Why traditional SMART goals fail—and how to replace them with "HARD Goals" for maximum inspiration and results.
• A powerful question every manager must ask to turn "meh" employees into motivated contributors.
• The one coaching strategy proven to reduce burnout while reigniting passion in high-potential employees.
• How to leverage self-efficacy and resilience-building exercises to supercharge team performance.
• The counterintuitive reason asking fewer questions might be sabotaging your coaching success—and how to fix it.

WEEK 5: SOLVING THE HIGH PERFORMER CRISIS

High performers are the backbone of your organization, but in many companies, they’re less engaged than their peers. This session reveals the psychology of high performers and equips you with strategies to keep them motivated, fulfilled, and loyal. You’ll learn how to align their goals with organizational needs, provide meaningful recognition, and create opportunities for growth. Retaining and inspiring your top talent has never been more critical, and this program will show you how to do it effectively.

Leaders will learn how to:

• A groundbreaking method to identify what motivates or frustrates your high performers—and how to act on it immediately.
• The “Shoves and Tugs” framework: uncover hidden reasons why employees stay or leave and use them to boost engagement.
• How to recognize and reinforce great work with laser precision—without inflating egos or causing resentment.
• The surprising truth about why high performers often feel undervalued—and how a five-minute conversation can reverse it.
• Why ignoring differentiation between high and low performers can tank team morale—and the data-backed fix to avoid it.
• How to decode your team’s motivational drivers using five simple categories to tailor leadership to every individual.
• A Nobel Prize-winning psychological insight that ensures your feedback builds trust and strengthens high-performer retention.

WEEK 6: THE LEADERSHIP TIME HACK: PRIORITIZE, DELEGATE, AND EXCEL

Time is every leader’s scarcest resource, yet most spend it on tasks that don’t move the needle. In this session, you’ll learn how to reclaim your time by identifying your Green Light Work—the tasks that deliver the greatest results. Master the art of delegation to develop your team while freeing yourself for high-value leadership activities. These strategies will help you maximize productivity, prioritize effectively, and focus on what truly matters.

Leaders will learn how to:

• The "Green, Yellow, Red" framework: how to prioritize your most impactful tasks and eliminate time-wasters.
• Why most to-do lists fail—and how replacing them with a "Top 3 Green Light Priorities" list guarantees daily success.
• How to reclaim hours of deep focus by mastering time-blocking and conquering interruptions.
• A WWII sabotage manual's unexpected lesson on running productive meetings—what modern leaders must avoid!
• The secret to leveraging your team’s peak productivity hours and synchronizing them for maximum efficiency.
• How a simple six-question system transforms delegation into a powerful tool for employee growth and leader effectiveness.
• The surprising psychology behind interruptions—and how hospitals use "safe zones" to eliminate critical errors you can adapt for your team.

LOGISTICAL DETAILS:

STARTING THE WEEK OF MARCH 3RD, you’re going to take 1 course per week for 6 weeks. (You are not required to login at any set time, so each week you may work on the courses at times that work best for your schedule).

Each week, you’ll watch approximately 1-hour of a video course, and then complete one assignment to hardwire your learnings and take one brief quiz to ensure you learned that week’s content. You can expect to spend around 1.5-2 hours per week between the videos and the coursework.

You may work ahead and you will not be penalized for falling behind, but ALL MODULES, ASSIGNMENTS AND QUIZZES MUST BE COMPLETED BY 11:59 PM (PST) ON THE FINAL DAY OF THE PROGRAM. The final day of the program is Sunday, April 13, 2025. This is a 6-week program and certificates will not be issued if all coursework is not completed by the deadline.

WHAT IF MANY LEADERS WANT TO ATTEND?
If your colleagues want to participate, that's great! We offer GROUP DISCOUNTS for groups of 5 or more leaders from the same organization. Simply contact Jill Sutherland (Director of Client Services) at 800-814-7859 or jill@leadershipiq.com

WHY A CERTIFICATE?
To advance your career, and inspire the confidence of your team, you need proof that you’ve learned What Great Managers Do Differently. (And it looks GREAT on your LinkedIn profile and resume). And if you’re going to train multiple leaders in your organization, you want to know which leaders have progressed through the necessary training and have the skills to lead successfully. To get your certificate, you'll take a test following the 6-week program (and because you watched all the program modules, it will be easy for you to pass with flying colors)!

NO FLUFF. YOU GET SCIENCE, SCRIPTS & TOOLS.
We don’t offer fluffy platitudes. This program will teach you the latest science and specific scripts to handle dramatic and narcissistic personalities, deliver constructive feedback, motivate high performers, successfully lead teams, resolve conflict, and so much more.

HOW THIS PROGRAM WORKS:
The program is set up at a pace of 1 course per week. You are not required to login at any set time so you may work on the courses at times that works best for your schedule. You may work ahead and you will not be penalized for falling behind, but ALL MODULES, ASSIGNMENTS AND QUIZZES MUST BE COMPLETED BY 11:59 PM (PST) ON THE FINAL DAY OF THE PROGRAM. The final day of the program is April 13, 2025. This is a 6-week program and certificates will not be issued if all coursework is not completed by the deadline.

HOW DO I REGISTER?
Simply click the red "Register" button to purchase your registration and secure your spot in the course. Each registration is for a single user only. Please contact Jill Sutherland at jill@leadershipiq.com if you are interested in registering multiple participants. THE PROGRAM START DATE IS MONDAY, MARCH 3RD. On Friday, February 28th, each participant will receive an email with their login information to access the course.

DO I GET CEU'S?
While we don't formally offer a specific accredited CEU/PDU (because there are so many different state & professional associations), many of our attendees will send the program description to their particular accrediting body and apply to have that training hour(s) counted. We hear that many of our attendees have been successful with that approach. THIS PROGRAM DELIVERS 6 CONTACT/COURSE HOURS.  

READ THE REVIEWS

"This is one of the best trainings, with practical application techniques, that I have ever attended in my 30 year career!"
Rhonda Billman, Assistant Director

"Mark is an exceptional teacher with world-class insight into how to become a great leader. Every leader will benefit from his lessons."
Joseph Willett, Chief Operating Officer EMEA

"Mark is a genius at his craft. The tools he provides give me energy and excitement to go back to my team and put it into play. Best leadership seminar I have ever attended!"
Dania Reynoso, Director Client Services

YOUR PRESENTER: MARK MURPHY

Mark Murphy is the founder of Leadership IQ, a New York Times bestselling author, Senior Contributor to FORBES. and rated as a Top 30 Leadership Guru.

Mark's reputation as Leadership training expert is also why he's lectured at The United Nations, Harvard Business School, Microsoft, IBM, MasterCard, Merck, and more.

Mark has written some of the most practical and insightful leadership books ever, including Hundred Percenters, Hiring For Attitude, Truth At Work, HARD Goals, and more.

And his Leadership techniques and research have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Inc., CNBC, CBS MarketWatch, Fortune, Forbes, Business Week, U.S. News & World Report, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and more.

He has also appeared on ABC's 20/20, CBS News, Fox Business News, CNN and NPR.