Change Catalyst is Raise the Bar’s flagship leadership development programme, designed to build capability across cohorts of leaders through direct access to globally recognised experts and authors.
Six masterclasses, delivered by six of the most in-demand thought leaders working today, address the leadership challenges organisations are actually facing: performance, inclusion, decision-making under pressure, digital change, commercial thinking and leading through transformation.
At an exceptional price point, it gives organisations a way to develop large leadership populations quickly, consistently and credibly, without the cost or complexity of building bespoke content from scratch.
Each masterclass is led by a globally recognised expert, chosen because their thinking changes how leaders show up, not because they were the most available speaker that month.
One of the world’s most in-demand experts in High Performance, working with elite athletes, international sports teams and global businesses.
Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Warner Bros. Discovery and one of the most respected voices on inclusive leadership globally.
Senior Consultant at Chimp Management, the team behind the global bestseller The Chimp Paradox.
World-renowned author and expert on generational leadership and the influence of human behaviour, founder of WHETSTON.
Award-winning strategic leader and executive coach, former UK Non-Executive Director of the Year, now Chair of the Tour de France.
Best-selling author, performance expert and co-host of the High Performance podcast.
Already sold on the experts? Here is exactly what each session covers and what leaders will be able to do differently afterwards.
Drawing on decades of experience working with elite athletes, CEOs and high-performing teams, this session goes beyond targets and tactics to explore how mindset, belief and environment shape results.
Increase performance without increasing pressure or burnoutBuild psychological safety that raises standards and accountabilitySustain motivation and focus during periods of uncertaintyRemove behavioural barriers that limit individual and team performanceCreate cultures where people take ownership rather than waiting to be managedThis session challenges leaders to rethink inclusion as a core leadership capability that directly impacts performance, engagement and retention, moving beyond theory to focus on the everyday behaviours that determine whether people feel able to contribute fully at work.
Create inclusive team environments where people contribute fullyImprove engagement and retention through stronger leadership behavioursIdentify and remove invisible barriers to performance and progressionLead inclusion confidently and credibly in day-to-day leadershipBuild trust and belonging that improve collaboration and resultsInspired by the work of Professor Steve Peters and The Chimp Paradox, this session brings neuroscience to life in a highly practical, leadership-focused way, helping leaders understand how the brain drives behaviour, decision-making and emotional response under pressure.
Stay calm and focused under pressure and stressImprove decision-making by managing emotional reactionsReduce conflict through better self-awareness and communicationLead difficult conversations with greater confidence and controlShow up more consistently as a leader in challenging situationsThis session explores how people actually respond to digital disruption, AI and uncertainty, and what leaders need to do differently to guide teams through change. The focus is leading humans through technological change, not just implementing new systems.
Lead people confidently through digital and technological changeReduce resistance and change fatigue during transformationImprove collaboration across generations and working stylesBuild optimism and engagement in uncertain environmentsPrepare teams for future ways of workingThis session strengthens leaders’ ability to think commercially, understand value creation and connect day-to-day decisions to organisational strategy, helping leaders at all levels make better, more informed decisions that drive performance and results.
Make more commercially informed decisions in their roleLink team activity to strategy and organisational prioritiesPrioritise work based on impact, not workloadApply practical tools including the Balanced ScorecardConnect leadership behaviour to measurable commercial outcomesThis session focuses on the human dynamics of change: storytelling, belief and trust, and how leaders embed change that actually lasts rather than fading once the initiative ends.
Create compelling narratives that reduce resistance to changeBuild trust and belief during periods of disruptionSustain momentum and energy through long change initiativesTranslate vision into day-to-day behaviourEmbed change that sticks, rather than reverting under pressureThe programme delivers the greatest impact when organisations enrol groups of leaders, often 40 to 60-plus participants, and treat it as a leadership capability intervention, not a one-off learning event.
This isn’t generic leadership theory. It’s six commercial outcomes that show up in performance, retention and delivery.
Most transformation programmes fail not because the strategy is wrong, but because the leadership underneath it cannot sustain it. Change Catalyst builds leaders who carry change through to completion, protecting the return on every transformation investment you make this year.
Build cultures where transformation lasts, rather than reverting once the initiative endsCreate narratives that reduce resistance and accelerate adoption across teamsStrengthen resilience and psychological safety so performance holds through disruptionDevelop leaders who sustain delivery and output during periods of uncertaintyWhen leaders below the senior team think and act commercially, decisions get faster and better without escalating everything upward. This session set alone gives your organisation a leadership population that links day-to-day activity to commercial outcomes.
Improve commercial thinking and decision quality at every leadership levelEnsure improvement and change activity is directly linked to strategic goals and measurable valueSharpen prioritisation in complex, resource-constrained environmentsStrengthen customer-led strategy, competitiveness and growthAI adoption, generational shift and digital disruption are workforce risks as much as opportunities. This is where you justify the investment against the risk of leaders who cannot manage change at the pace the market now requires.
Develop leaders who understand human behaviour and resistance under uncertaintyIncrease organisational capability to lead AI-driven and digital transformation responsiblyReduce generational friction across a multi-generational workforce and improve collaborationBuild resilience and innovation through leaders who create realistic optimism, not denialLeadership capability gaps are one of the most common, and most expensive, drivers of attrition in mid-to-senior populations. This is the retention and engagement case, directly relevant to any brief where attrition cost or engagement scores are a stated priority.
Move inclusion from a tick-box exercise to a genuine leadership capability that improves retentionImprove engagement, retention and equity of opportunity across leadership populationsUnlock better innovation and problem-solving through psychologically safe teamsBuild the trust and belonging that reduce voluntary attrition at a leadership levelEach masterclass leaves leaders with something they can apply in their next conversation, decision or team meeting, not just on the day they leave.
Create genuine buy-in rather than reluctant complianceKeep teams energised and focused through sustained uncertaintyTurn organisational culture into a competitive advantage rather than a barrierDrive transformation that lasts, instead of short-term fixes that quietly unwindMake sharper, more value-driven decisions in day-to-day leadershipLink improvement activity directly to real commercial impactPrioritise what actually matters, rather than reacting to whatever is loudestBuild strategies and plans that hold up under real-world pressureUnderstand how digital change and human behaviour interact under pressureReduce generational friction and unlock the strengths of a mixed-experience teamBuild teams that are ready for how work is actually changingCreate realistic optimism that fuels innovation rather than denial or fearBuild teams where every individual can contribute fullyIdentify and remove the hidden barriers that limit performance and progressionLead inclusion with day-to-day credibility, not just stated intentStrengthen culture, engagement and retention through genuinely inclusive leadershipShift mindsets and behaviours, not just chase targetsBuild ownership in teams rather than relying on obedience or oversightBuild high-trust, high-challenge cultures where standards rise without burnoutDeliver performance that holds up over time, including under pressureChange Catalyst can run as a standalone programme or be extended into Change Catalyst+, which adds:
Change Catalyst Leadership Programme