Development Programmes

Tailored Learning Solutions

Raise the Bar empowers organisations to overcome challenges and achieve lasting results through tailored learning solutions. Work with us to create programmes that build skills, knowledge and behaviours through expert design, dynamic delivery and with dedicated marketing support.

Why choose Raise the Bar?

Our tailored learning solutions target the development goals that matter most while upskilling your people in ways that deliver measurable impact and value.

Designed around your people & your goals
Learning that inspires action and delivers measurable impact
Expert-led programmes
Flexible support from design to delivery

The Details

From financial fundamentals to sustainability, crisis comms and managing change, our programmes cover a wide range of topics, plus open sessions led by global experts in leadership and management.

What you’ll get:

Any number of expert sessions tailored to your organisational needs and a programme designed to deliver measurable impact.

Access to our transformational Change Catalyst and Empower development programmes led by global experts.

A dedicated RTB team covering delivery and optional marketing support.

Featured

Masterclasses

Browse our featured sessions or get in touch for our full list of options.

Digital & Data-Driven Leadership

Leaders today face a dual challenge: harnessing the power of digital transformation while making fast, data-informed decisions.
This is a future-focused leadership development programme designed to equip leaders with the mindset, capability and tools to lead confidently in a digital, data-rich world. This programme builds both digital confidence and strategic data acumen, enabling leaders to navigate AI disruption, lead digital transformation, and make smart, evidence-based decisions. Many leaders lack the confidence, language and tools to lead in this fast-changing space, that's where tailored learning at Raise the Bar comes in.

What this session covers:
Purpose, Impact & Values-Based Leadership

Sustainability is no longer an initiative, it’s a leadership imperative.
This high-impact leadership development journey is designed to empower leaders to lead with purpose, responsibility, and long-term impact. The programme focuses on equipping leaders to drive sustainability, build meaningful ESG strategies, and lead through values that create genuine business and societal impact.

From net zero goals to the demands of stakeholder capitalism and rising ESG expectations, businesses must now lead in ways that create positive, measurable impact. Leaders need the mindset, language, and tools to:

- Align ESG and sustainability with commercial growth
- Inspire and lead through purpose and values
- Embed a culture of responsibility and impact across teams

What this session covers:
Inclusive & People-First Leadership Development

Combine inclusive leadership strategy with the critical mental fitness and resilience tools leaders need to sustain performance and prevent burnout.
Today’s leaders face complex, human-centred challenges: rapid change, hybrid working, inclusion demands, and growing mental health pressures. To succeed, they must lead inclusively and sustainably. This transformational development journey focuses on building inclusive cultures and sustaining people-first leadership in fast-paced, high-pressure environments. This programme is built around our Engage – Experience – Embed methodology, and empowers leaders to lead equitably, make inclusive decisions, and embed wellbeing into how they lead, fostering emotionally resilient, high-performing teams.

What this session covers:
Presenting with Impact

Knowing how to improve communication skills is something your people will be thankful for when they have to share their ideas with an audience!
There are huge payoffs to be gained from becoming a more confident speaker - these far outweigh the temporary discomfort that comes with learning how to do it. Not only can good presentation skills help us when we need to give presentations to a room full of people, but even when we’re talking to customers, pitching clients or simply explaining a new idea to our colleagues. If you think about it, we’re presenting ourselves in some way more or less all of the time while we’re at work. Being able to tell stories is a skill that’s never been more important in influencing key stakeholders and bringing people on a journey.

What this session covers:
Courageous Conversations

It’s fair to say that many individuals, leaders and teams don’t call out bad behaviours in the workplace.
It’s fair to say that many individuals, leaders and teams don’t call out bad behaviours in the workplace. The problem is this: by not calling out bad behaviour, they’re just as much to blame. They’re encouraging others to behave this way and in some instances, may even be rewarding bad behaviour by going along with it. And it’s fear that’s standing in the way of them taking action.
When poor behaviour is accepted, it makes a big impact on the culture of the team and the organisation.

So don’t wait a month or two. It’s all in the timing, and it’s essential to have those conversations
there and then, when the behaviour is witnessed. The key to doing it however, is the ‘way’ in
which you do it.

What this session covers:
The Coaching Habit

Coaching is about taking a person from one situation to another, more desirable one by using questions designed to get that person to envisage their own path
It allows for long-term, excellent performance, self-correction and self-generation. It’s a way of empowering staff and encouraging performance by letting people decide for themselves how they’ll get to where you mutually agree they should be.
Both training and coaching have their place in every organisation. Understanding the main differences between training and coaching can help leaders make sure they use the right tool for the right tasks. If they can do that, everyone benefits.

In this session we cover:
Agile Thinking

Agile leaders recognise that people work best when they are enabled, engaged and energised.
Agile leaders recognise that people work best when they are enabled, engaged and energised. Empowering individuals is a necessary skill of the agile leader as they balance the emerging needs and tensions of the organisation. Agile leaders recognise that empowerment is not an ‘all or nothing’ concept. The agile leader is one who adapts, yet there are many good leaders in organisations who rarely do so.

In this session we cover:
4 Mar 26

High Performance Leadership

Jamil Qureshi

One of the world’s most in-demand High Performance Psychologists
Jamil’s session takes us through a practical understanding of how to cultivate mindsets for optimising talent in a disrupted world. Using principles that have been shared with six people who have used these ideas to become number one in the world in their chosen field, and with insight into the companies he advised last year, delegates will be taken through an insightful and entertaining look at how we can create positive change through obtaining different outlooks.

This session will give insight into:
More about Jamil Qureshi
Financial Fundamentals for Managers

Finance is at the heart of every business decision, yet many managers without a financial background find it complex and intimidating.
This short and snappy session demystifies key financial concepts, equipping managers with the essential knowledge to understand financial statements, manage budgets, and make informed decisions that drive business success.

Through interactive discussions, real-world examples, and hands-on activities, participants will gain confidence in interpreting financial data and understanding its impact on their roles and the wider organisation.

What this session covers:
15 Apr 26

ED&I Leadership

Dr Asif Sadiq MBE

Renowned Diversity, Equity and Inclusion expert
In this session, Asif talks about how Diversity and inclusion (D&I) is no longer a “nice to have” — it’s now a business imperative. He discusses the challenges and opportunities of the future of D&I, how organisations can instil a journey of learning through creating psychological safety for all and how leaders can transform the “why” for Inclusion by being authentic, vulnerable, and above all, simply human.

The session will explore:
More about Dr Asif Sadiq MBE
14 Apr 26

The Power of Mindset: Leading From Within

Kate Richardson-Walsh OBE

Olympic Gold medal holder and expert in performance, leadership and high performing teams
Having captained both England and Great Britain hockey teams for 13 years, Kate will share her unique experience of leading a high performing team in a high stress, high pressure environment.

Please note, as this session forms part of our Empower - Women in Business programme, it's designed specifically for female leaders and managers only.

This session will give insight into:
More about Kate Richardson-Walsh OBE
13 May 26

The Future of Women in Work

Sonya Barlow

Award-winning BBC presenter, author, keynote speaker, entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, content creator and writer
Sonya Barlow will lead a bold, honest conversation to help us feel empowered and in control of our careers. The world of work has shifted dramatically over the last decade and post-pandemic, it continues to evolve. AI tools are rising, online profiles matter more than ever, yet budgets are shrinking and promotions are harder to come by. This session reflects the real, unfiltered conversations we’re having with our most trusted friends - and brings them into the open.

Please note, as this session forms part of our Empower - Women in Business programme, it's designed specifically for female leaders and managers only.

This session will give insight into:
More about Sonya Barlow
Digital Leadership

Thimon De Jong

World-renowned author and expert on generational leadership & the influence of human behaviour
Thimon de Jong is a behavioural expert specialising in the future of human behaviour. In a turbulent, digitalising, uncertain world, making sense of the future is more important than ever. A world-renowned behavioural expert, Thimon helps you understand what people are going to do next and what that practically means for leaders and organisations. He works for clients like Morgan Stanley, Google, IKEA and L’Oreal and lectures at the social psychology department of Utrecht University.

In this session, leaders will learn:
More about Thimon De Jong
13 Jan 26

Confidence, Awareness & Assertiveness

Penny Haslam

Award-winning motivational speaker, author and former BBC business journalist
Penny Haslam leads a compelling session focused on enhancing personal and professional growth through increased confidence, influence and assertiveness. Drawing on her extensive media background and insights from her books, Penny teaches practical techniques that empower individuals, specifically women, to be more assertive and influential in their careers.

Please note, as this session forms part of our Empower - Women in Business programme, it's designed specifically for female leaders and managers only.

This session will give insight into:
More about Penny Haslam
14 Jan 26

Commercial & Strategic Leadership

Chris Brindley MBE

Award-winning business leader and former UK NED of the year
Chris is a high-profile business leader and a leading specialist when it comes to customer experience, leading teams, employee engagement, performance management and sales management, particularly within organisations where change is on the agenda.

In his session, Chris will share a number of tools including:
More about Chris Brindley MBE
11 Feb 26

Change Leadership

Professor Damian Hughes

Best-selling author, performance expert and co-host of the ‘High Performance’ podcast
Damian is a highly respected performance expert, having worked with many high-profile names throughout his career. As well as being author of 12 best-selling books, Damian is also well-known for co-hosting the ‘High Performance’ podcast.

In his session, Damian covers how the highest-performing people are able to successfully face change – and how you can too.

Drawing on interviews with record-setting athletes, Olympic coaches and leading business founders, Damian introduces the five simple steps that take you from where you are to where you want to be. And then introduces the cutting-edge research that explains why these surprisingly simple tools are so effective.

These will include:
More about Professor Damian Hughes
24 Feb 26

Championing Women in the Workplace

Sara Davies MBE

Entrepreneur, Founder and Creative Director of Crafter's Companion, and TV presenter
Sara Davies MBE leads an empowering session dedicated to the support and advancement of women in business. As a successful entrepreneur and investor, Sara shares her insights on fostering a culture that champions women’s success. With her extensive experience in nurturing and encouraging female entrepreneurship, this session provides an excellent opportunity for delegates to learn effective strategies and to build a network that promotes female leadership and collaboration.

The session and programme then concludes with a panel discussion with senior business leaders who have accelerated their careers to the highest levels. Please note, as this session forms part of our Empower - Women in Business programme, it's designed specifically for female leaders and managers only.

This session will give insight into: