Leadership 101
101 answers to the most common questions we get about effective people leadership and Level 52 training programs.
About Level 52 & Leadership Training:
1. How is Level 52 different from other leadership development companies?
Level 52 stands out by transforming leadership development into a high-performance system. Our approach combines the discipline of elite sport with the science of applied neuroscience, culminating in a proven methodology called The Science Behind Success.
What makes us truly different:
Performance-Driven Framework: We equip leaders with a structured system that’s been tested in high-stakes environments—athletics, business, and beyond.
Shared Language, Shared Results: Teams don’t just grow individually - they align. Our tools create a common leadership language that elevates communication, collaboration, and culture.
Science-Based, Practically Applied: Every model and tool is grounded in neuroscience and built for immediate use in real leadership moments.
Leaders come to us for growth—teams stay with us for transformation.
2. Where does Level 52 Operate?
Level 52 provides service across Canada, plus a few select cities in the US. We have a distributed team, with coaches and facilitators based in:
3. What is the Accelerated Leader Program (ALP), and who is it for?
The Accelerated Leader Program is Level 52’s flagship leadership development experience designed to build high-performance habits, sharpen influence, and strengthen leadership mindset. ALP isn’t just about learning - it’s about transformation. Backed by neuroscience and grounded in The Science Behind Success, ALP equips leaders to lead with intention, clarity, and measurable impact.
The ALP is for ambitious leaders who are in or preparing for mid- to senior-level roles. It’s best suited for those leading teams and who want to amplify their leadership brand, decision-making, and ability to inspire followership.
4. What makes ALP different from other leadership programs?
Most programs deliver content. ALP delivers momentum. Through immersive learning, built-in accountability, and Level 52’s unique “Awareness → Intention → Exercise → Reflection” framework, ALP helps leaders turn insights into consistent behaviors.
5. How long is the ALP?
Our open enrollment cohorts run for 12 weeks, while clients' booking private cohorts have flexibility to adjust this to fit into busy leaders’ schedules while creating maximum behavioral change. Most clients will choose anywhere from 12 to 24 weeks as the duration of their program, resulting in a weekly time commitment ranging from 3 to 6 hours. Each week blends live sessions, exercises, and real-world application.
6. What is the Peer Learning Community?
Level 52’s Peer Learning Community is a membership-based solution designed specifically for frontline managers and emerging leaders who are building the foundational skills needed to lead people effectively.
What makes it unique is the community-based learning model. Participants grow through live, interactive training sessions alongside peers from diverse industries, but who are often at similar stages in their leadership journey.
Key benefits include:
Real-time collaboration with other rising leaders
Exposure to diverse perspectives and problem-solving approaches
A chance to build a cross-industry leadership network
Shared learning experiences that foster confidence, capability, and clarity
It’s more than a course - it’s a connected, supportive space where new leaders learn, grow, and gain the tools to succeed in real-world leadership challenges.
7. Why do organization purchase memberships in the the Peer Learning Community?
Organizations who understand that learning doesn't simply mean access to content but rather providing the structure, tools, and support for true skill development. Organizations purchase memberships for their frontline managers and emerging leaders because they want them to have ongoing support in a community with diverse experience and varied perspectives. Level 52's Peer Learning Community is a done-for-you approach to ensuring you are cultivating leadership skills on the front lines.
8. What's the difference between a team workshop and a bespoke off-site?
Typically a Level 52 workshop - which can range from a 2 hour online skills lab, to a half-day session, to full-day bootcamp - will be based on existing content drawn from our library of award-winning curriculum. These are perfect for leadership teams who want to become more aligned and develop skills together, such as more effective feedback, creating accountability, candid conversations, and coaching skills.
Bespoke off-sites, on the other hand, are customized experiences designed by Level 52 for executive teams. From 1-day intensives to multi-day retreats, these experiences are crafted to align culture, sharpen strategy, and build the leadership muscle your organization needs most.
9. Who facilitates Level 52 workshops and off-sites?
All off-sites and workshops are led by experienced Level 52 facilitators trained in The Science Behind Success framework. Many are former executives, elite athletes, or coaches, and all bring a performance mindset.
10. What kinds of outcomes can teams expect from a Level 52 workshop?
Elevated leadership effectiveness, better-aligned teams, and a more accountable culture are some of the most common outcomes. These result come hand-in-hand with improved clarity on priorities, a reduction in work happening in silos, and stronger cross-funtinal communication. Our programs are designed to generate commitment, surface tension, and give leaders the tools to lead through complexity and change.
Leadership Development Questions People Ask Us:
11. What makes leadership training stick?
Sticky training requires structure, repetition, real-world application, and accountability. Without these, even great insights evaporate. At Level 52, we design programs that build lasting behavioral change — not just short-term awareness.
12. Why do leadership skills fade after training?
Because most people go back to their old environment without reinforcement. Skill atrophy happens when there's no accountability loop or community to stretch leaders beyond “knowing” into “doing.” Understanding the neuroscience behind real behavior change has allowed Level52 to design sustainment mechanisms that ensure their programs have long-lasting positive effects.
13. What is leadership atrophy?
Leadership atrophy is the slow erosion of skills, mindset, and habits that occurs when leaders stop practicing and refining their craft. Like physical fitness, leadership requires ongoing training.
14. How do I prevent skill atrophy after leadership training?
Join a peer learning community. Engage in regular reflection. Create an accountability structure. Build in reps — just like a gym routine — for your influence, communication, and coaching skills.
15. What’s the best way to reinforce leadership learning?
Leadership is a skill, and it needs to be developed with the same rigor as any other skill you'd like to get better at. Repetition, coaching, peer accountability, and a structured cadence of practice. Our programs are built around this principle because we know that momentum is earned, not given.
16. What is a leadership mastermind group?
It’s a small group of trusted peers who act as your personal board of directors. In the Level 52 model, mastermind groups are intentionally curated and supported with guided frameworks.
17. What is behavioral momentum in leadership?
It’s the compounding effect of small, consistent leadership actions that align with your identity and vision. It’s built by deliberate practice and eroded by distraction or complacency.
18. Why is accountability so important in leadership development?
Because most people won’t follow through alone. Accountability isn’t pressure - it’s clarity, focus, and follow-up. Our programs use it as a core ingredient, not an afterthought.
19. What is a leadership brand?
It’s the reputation you build over time based on your consistent behaviors, decisions, and how people experience your leadership. Whether you realize it or not, you already have a leadership brand inside your organization - we help leaders shape theirs with intention.
20. What makes a high-performance culture?
Clarity, candor, ownership, and alignment. It’s created by leaders who model the standards and values they expect — consistently and visibly.
A Focus on Core Leadership Competencies:
21. What makes a difficult conversation truly difficult?
It’s not the topic - it’s the tension. Difficult conversations often trigger ego, emotion, and uncertainty. What makes them hard is that they matter - and they’re easy to avoid. Experience shows us that often it's less about the topic or situation itself, and more about whether you've done the work in advance to co-engineer your relationship with the other person in a way that allows you to have a productive conversation, even when there's tension.
22. How can I prepare for a difficult conversation as a leader?
Use intention. Think: what outcome do I want? What mindset do I need? What emotions might show up - mine and theirs? Then script your opening line to start strong.
23. Why do leaders avoid tough conversations?
Because we’re wired for harmony. And because many leaders haven’t built the reps to feel competent. At Level 52, we train leaders to lean in, not circle around. Conflict can be healthy, and if managed right, can be the key that unlocks innovation.
24. What’s a good framework for tough conversations?
We teach leaders to prepare using three prompts: What is the truth I need to say? What does this person need to hear? What do I want them to feel? The alignment of those three creates clarity and care.
If the conversation is more about delivering feedback, then we suggest starting with “WWW” - What’s Working Well, expanding on some things about the situation or their performance that are working well. And then transition to “EBI” - Even Better If. This allows you to unpack what isn't working or what needs to be different next time for a better outcome.
25. What is the impact of avoiding difficult conversations?
Avoidance becomes a cultural norm. When leaders hesitate, teams suffer. Clarity delayed becomes dysfunction delivered.
Often, we tell our clients to think of it like getting a sliverin your hand. If you choose not to deal with it while it's small and minor, there's a chance it will get infected and fester into something much more serious down the road.
26. How do you build skill in delivering feedback?
The same way you build any skill: through reps. Feedback isn’t an event, it’s a practice. Great leaders give bite-sized feedback often, not just big conversations quarterly. Building this skill can gets accelerated when you have reliable tools and frameworks to lean into when you enter feedback situations.
27. What’s the difference between feedback and criticism?
Feedback serves growth. Criticism serves ego. One lands with clarity and care. The other leaves people guarded.
28. How can I give feedback that lands well?
Be specific, timely, and grounded in intent. Use the formula: Here’s what I noticed. Here’s the impact. Here’s what to try instead.
It can also be helpful to frame the conversation by saying you have some observations to share, and you're doing so in service of this person's growth, so they'll be even better next time.
29. What makes people defensive during feedback?
They interpret it as a threat to identity. The fix? Give feedback about behaviors - not traits. And build safety first.
30. What’s a common mistake leaders make with feedback?
1: They wait too long. Feedback should ride shotgun to performance, not trail behind it.
2: They miss doing the foundational work that creates a relationship/culture where feedback is normalized.
31. What does it mean to align expectations?
It means surfacing assumptions, clarifying standards, and naming what success looks like - together. Misaligned expectations are the #1 silent killer of trust.
32. How do you align expectations across a team?
Have a conversation, not just a memo. Invite people into clarity by allowing them to co-create a shared definition of success. Ask: What does good look like to you? What does “done” mean? What would we see that signals we missed the mark?
33. What happens when expectations aren’t clear?
People default to their own lens, which is often shaped by their own biases and preferences. That breeds inconsistency, misfires, and unchecked assumptions.
34. How do leaders unintentionally misalign expectations?
They assume clarity because they understand. But communication isn't what’s said - it’s what’s understood.
35. What tools can help with expectation alignment?
When working on relationship dynamics, Level 52's Guide to Me and Co-engineering Relationships framework work together to create a foundation that paves the way to better communication and alignment.
When creating alignment in the moment, it's one of Level52's most powerful and popular tools, called bookending
36. What is a culture of accountability?
It’s one where commitments matter, follow-through is expected, and ownership is the norm - not the exception. This is different than "holding accountability," which is the exertion of power in a relationship for the more senior person to hold a team member accountable to a specific outcome. A culture of accountability is where accountability It flows in all directions because there's alignment, buy-in, and commitment. .
37. How do I build accountability on my team?
Start with clarity, model ownership, and create rhythms of review. Accountability thrives in structure. It's also important for feedback to be a cultural norm, and it's accelerated when leaders have strong coaching skills.
38. What’s the difference between accountability and micromanagement?
Accountability is agreed-upon ownership. Micromanagement is a lack of trust. One empowers, the other stifles.
39. How do I hold people accountable without damaging relationships?
Do it early, often, and fairly. It’s not about pressure — it’s about standards. Say: Here’s what we agreed on. Here’s where we are. What’s next?
40. What’s a leader’s role in modeling accountability?
Be the standard. Own your misses. Keep your commitments. You can’t coach what you don’t live.
41. What is coaching for resilience?
It’s helping people reframe setbacks, build bounce-back habits, and turn challenges into fuel. Most importantly, it's choosing to do the hard things now - before our resilience is tested - so we have built up resilience like a muscle, and it's there for when we need it. In other words, you don't start training for a marathon, the morning of the marathon.
42. Why does resilience matter in leadership?
Because leadership is pressure. Resilience is what keeps you grounded, adaptable, and resourceful when things don’t go as planned.
43. How can I coach a team member through burnout?
Start with presence. Listen first. Then ask powerful questions: What’s draining you? What’s fueling you? What needs to shift? The solution to burnout is usually more dynamic than simply a break. Understanding what's below the surface is key to helping your team member regain their footing.
44. How do you build resilience as a leadership competency?
Like a muscle — with reps. It’s built through reflection, reframing, and staying in the arena after hard moments.
45. What’s the connection between mindset and resilience?
Everything cascades from your mindset. Your mindset defines whether obstacles shrink you or stretch you. Resilient leaders choose growth - even when it’s uncomfortable.
46. How do I coach someone who’s underperforming?
If you're taking a coaches approach, then your job is to coach the human, not the problem. That means, begin with curiosity. A great place to start is to ensure you have a shared understanding of what the expected performance looks like. Once you have that established, continue with curiosity. Ask: What’s getting in the way? What would have to be true for you to be performing in a way we just discussed? Then coach around clarity, capacity, and commitment.
47. What makes a great coaching question?
For starters, questions should be rooted in curiosity. They are simple and open-ended (Think how, what, why. Not did, could, should) Great coaching questions open up reflection. They widen perspective. The do not solve - they stretch. Examples:
What makes that hard?
Why is that important right now?
How did you get through that challenge?
What would have to be true for this to no longer be a stressor?
What else?
48. How often should leaders coach their people?
Weekly. Coaching is leadership, not a separate activity. It’s how great leaders develop others while driving performance.
49. What’s the best way to start a coaching conversation?
Use a simple opener: What’s the biggest challenge you’re facing this week? Then listen like it’s your job.
If the context were a year-end review, then other starters to consider include.
What did you accomplish this year that you’re most proud of - and why does it matter?
What challenged you the most, and how did you work through it?
What do you want to grow into next year, and what makes that growth essential?
50. How do I know if I’m coaching effectively?
Look for behavior change. Coaching isn’t a great conversation — it’s a catalyst for new habits.
Next-Level Leadership:
61. What’s the link between performance and culture?
Culture is the invisible force that shapes behavior - and performance is the outcome. High-performance cultures are built by leaders who walk the talk.
62. How do leaders shape culture?
By what they model, reward, tolerate, and repeat. Every leader is a thermostat, not a thermometer.
63. What causes cultures to drift?
Inconsistency. Lack of clarity. Unspoken tensions. When leaders don’t regularly revisit values and behaviors, culture becomes accidental.
64. What’s a leadership "reset" and when should I do one?
It’s a deliberate pause to realign purpose, vision, and behavior. Do it after high-growth, change, conflict - or when things feel off.
65. What are the signs of a strong team culture?
Psychological safety, healthy conflict, shared language, and visible ownership. You feel it in the room, or the Zoom.
66. How do I build trust with my team?
Trust is built through consistency, clarity, vulnerability, and competence. The most straightforward strategy: say what you’ll do - then do it. Own your mistakes. And show you care.
67. Why do people disengage at work?
They don’t feel seen. They don’t see progress. Or they don’t believe it matters. Leadership is about reconnecting people to purpose and progress.
68. What is leadership presence?
It’s the felt sense of your leadership. Presence is how you show up - your energy, attention, confidence, and emotional impact.
69. How do I develop leadership presence?
Start with awareness. Ask: What do people feel when I walk in? What do they remember when I leave? Then train body language, tone, and focus.
70. What’s the difference between influence and authority?
Authority is positional. Influence is earned. Great leaders don’t rely on their title - they shape decisions and culture through trust.
71. Why do some leaders struggle to scale?
They don’t let go. They fail to shift from doing to leading. Scaling requires trust, delegation, and clarity of vision.
72. How do I delegate without losing control?
Delegate outcomes, not just tasks. Set clear expectations, check-ins, and decision rights - then step back, not away. Also be mindful that delegation is something you do with your team, not to (or at!) your team.
73. What’s the best way to onboard a new leader?
Coach them through culture, expectations, and influence. Onboarding is not just policy - it’s power dynamics and performance cues.
74. What’s the most underrated leadership skill?
Listening. Not just hearing - but making people feel understood. It’s the gateway to trust, influence, coaching, and culture.
75. Why do even high-performing leaders get stuck?
Because insight doesn’t guarantee action. They plateau when they stop reflecting, stop stretching, or lose intentional habits.
76. How does ego show up in leadership?
Through defensiveness, overcontrol, status-seeking, or fear of feedback. Ego isn’t always loud - sometimes it hides behind “I’m fine.”
77. How do I lead someone more experienced than me?
With humility, curiosity, and clarity. Focus on the what and why, and co-create the how.
Set the foundation by co-engineering how you will collaborate. Level 52 offers a suite of tools and frameworks to help you set the tone. When done right, you'll explore the possibility of future tension - something we call forecasting friction - and you'll be clear with one another on growth opportunities, what you're working on personally, and how you'll exchange feedback along the way.
78. What role does emotional intelligence play in leadership?
It’s the foundation. Self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, and influence are what separate good leaders from great ones.
79. Can leadership be taught?
Absolutely - but only if someone is willing to practice. Leadership is a set of skills that are developed over time and through repetition. Leadership is 100% learnable, but not academic. It’s intention, feedback, and reflection.
80. How do I become the leader I want to be?
First, get very clear on how you want to show up as a leader. We often call it your ‘leader brand.’ You have one that exists today, but also an aspirational brand that you're growing into. Start by defining this in a way that serves as your everyday North Star.
Then you get there by doing the things most people won’t. Reflect deeply. Practice deliberately. Surround yourself with people who stretch you.
High-Impact Training for High-Performing Leaders:
81. What is the best leadership development program in Canada?
Level 52’s Accelerated Leader Program (ALP) is considered one of Canada’s top leadership development experiences, blending science, cohort-based learning, high-performance habits and integrated one-to-one coaching.
Based on the principles from the award-winning book, The Science Behind Success, the ALP is especially powerful for executive teams who want to install a shared leadership operating system.
82. Are mastermind groups effective for leadership growth?
Yes. Peer mastermind groups create accountability, perspective, and trust - critical for growth beyond technical skill.
83. How do I stop my leadership skills from fading after a program?
You need structure, community, and reps. Join a peer learning community or mastermind that reinforces your learnings.
84. What’s the ideal follow-up after leadership training?
Think of the training as the beginning of the journey. Working with an accountability group or one-on-one with a coach helps ensure you have strategies for applying the skills you've developed, which is a key way to sustain what you've learned after training.
Structures that encourage you to reflect and then reconnect you back to the tools and frameworks you learned in the training are also a key way for long-term sustainment.
85. Should I invest in a leadership off-site?
Yes - if it’s well-designed. You should look for a design and facilitation partner that puts as much focus into preparation and meaningful pre-work as the day-of facilitation. The right inputs leading up to an offsite are a powerful lever for unlocking meaningful dialogue, creativity, and insights that set the tone for the work ahead.
You don't want to leave it to chance and hope that everyone can be brilliant in the moment. Instead, ensure there's a roadmap for the weeks leading to the off-site that encourages reflection and creative thinking. The right strategic off-site aligns your team, strengthens culture, and accelerates your leadership roadmap.
86. Can leadership training be virtual and still effective?
Absolutely. Our virtual ALP cohorts deliver deep transformation and strong connection. In fact, the virtual environment is an asset when it comes to creating spaces for one-on-one connections and structured group dialogues. When done right, live-online learning can be every bit as effective as in-person.
87. How much does leadership training cost?
If it's a proven program, then you shouldn't consider it a cost at all, but rather an investment into future performance. That's because well-designed programs, such as the Accelerated Leader Program or Peer Learning Community, deliver long-term ROI.
Although the investment can range, here are some common budgets for leadership development:
Annual investment for front-line managers: $1,000 - $2,500
Annual investment for mid-range managers and directors: $5,000 - $10,000
Annual investment for executive-level leaders: $25,000 - $50,000
88. What are the best leadership tools to use?
Tools that combine self-reflection, planning, feedback, and accountability. The Science Behind Success offers a full suite of tools and frameworks that can be used both in everyday leadership and in situations that pull you beyond your comfort zone.
89. What are some leadership habits I can start today?
Daily intention-setting, end-of-day reflection, weekly feedback check-ins, and practicing presence in meetings.
90. Why do most leadership programs fail?
Because they lack follow-through. Without built-in accountability, coaching, and peer momentum, most programs create knowledge without application. A question to ask yourself is if you have a skill gap, a knowledge gap, or a practice gap?
Integrating Level 52 Training as Part of Your Organization's Leadership Development Strategy:
91. How can I support my team members who are currently in Level 52 training?
All Level 52 training programs come with something called a ‘Sponsor Guide.’ This provides managers of team members in our training programs with more than just the opportunity to follow along with what they are learning - they fully embrace their role as a growth ally. We make it easy by providing curriculum recaps, access to the same tools, and most importantly, conversation starters that empower managers to support their team's development by embracing a teach-back model.
92. Does Level 52 provide post-training sustainment plans?
Yes. After our Accelerated Leader Program, for example, participants have access to a 52-week self-paced sustainment program. This is accessed on Level 52's learning platform and is included at no additional cost. It’s designed to connect your participants back to what they've learned in the program on a weekly cadence.
93. What levels of leadership can Level 52 support?
Level 52 offers purpose-built programs and curriculum for all levels of leadership: front-line managers and emerging leaders through to the C-suite. In fact, training is a bit like compound interest. It can be very valuable for an individual, but the magic of getting the entire team onto a shared leadership operating system elevates both the individual’s Effectiveness, as well as the performance and alignment of the team as a whole.
94. How is Level 52 different from traditional training providers?
For starters, we're unapologetically Canadian. We don’t do content dumps. We build behavior. Everything we offer is rooted in The Science Behind Success and focuses on applied learning.
95. What kind of companies partner with Level 52?
Progressive organizations that want to scale leadership culture, not just skillsets. We work with growth-stage firms and global enterprises alike.
96. Is Level 52 available globally?
Yes. Our virtual programs allow leaders from anywhere to participate. Our off-site facilitators also travel worldwide.
97. How do I request a custom workshop or off-site?
Reach out via our website. We’ll start with a discovery call to co-create an experience aligned to your leadership priorities.
98. Do you offer keynote speaking?
Yes. Founder Jayson Krause delivers keynotes on leadership mindset, performance psychology, and The Science Behind Success.
99. Can we bring the ALP into our company for a cohort?
Yes. Many companies run internal ALP cohorts. We shape the delivery to align with your leadership values and business context.
100. What if I don't have enough people to fill a cohort?
We offer public enrollment for our Accelerated Leader Program every spring and fall. Many clients start with a few private cohorts, and then rely on open enrollment for new hires and recent promotions.
101. How do I get started with Level 52?
Head to Level52.ca, explore the Accelerated Leader Program & Peer Learning Community, then reach out. If you’re ready to grow, we’re ready to stretch you.