Best Practices for Facilitating Leadership Development Workshops Internally
As a trained facilitator of Living As A Leader workshops, you play a key role in shaping the leadership culture within your organization. Your sessions aren’t just about delivering content—they’re about helping leaders think differently, grow intentionally, and lead more effectively.
Whether you’ve been facilitating for a while or are just getting started, here are some best practices to help you lead impactful and engaging workshops with confidence and consistency.
1. Know Your Audience
Take time before each session to understand who’s in the room.
• What roles do the participants hold?
• What challenges might they be facing?
• How familiar are they with the workshop content or tools?
Tailor your examples, questions, and activities to their experience level and daily leadership realities.
2. Set the Tone and Expectations
Start strong by creating clarity and connection.
• Welcome participants warmly and outline the flow of the session.
• Share the learning objectives and how the topic fits into the larger leadership series.
• Encourage openness, participation, and real-life application.
Leaders will be more engaged when they know what to expect—and when they feel the space is safe and supportive.
3. Keep It Real and Practical
Your goal isn’t to be a lecturer—it’s to guide conversation and learning.
• Minimize lecture time and maximize interaction.
• Use discussion prompts, partner activities, and group exercises to keep energy up.
• Bring the concepts to life with relevant stories or examples from your organization.
Remember: leaders are most likely to apply what feels real and immediately useful.
4. Flex When Needed
Every group is different—and no two workshops are ever exactly the same.
• Be responsive to the room. If something sparks a rich discussion, let it breathe.
• If you sense confusion, pause and check in before moving forward.
• Don’t worry about covering everything—focus on what will be most impactful.
Trust yourself. You know your people and your culture.
5. Use Consistent Language and Tools
One of the great strengths of the Living As A Leader series is the common language it builds.
• Reinforce key models and tools introduced in earlier sessions.
• Make connections across topics so leaders see how it all fits together.
• Encourage participants to use the tools outside the workshop—in meetings, coaching conversations, and performance discussions.
Consistency helps embed leadership habits into the culture.
6. Encourage Action and Accountability
Workshops are a spark, not the whole fire.
• Invite leaders to identify specific actions they’ll take as a result of the session.
• Use the Application Activities to promote follow-through.
• When possible, follow up or ask managers to support application after the session.
Real growth happens between sessions—your workshop helps set that growth in motion.
7. Bring Your Personality
Your facilitation style is part of what makes the experience memorable.
• Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine—warmth, humor, and authenticity go a long way.
• Stay grounded in the facilitator guide, but make it your own in small, meaningful ways.
• If you’re excited and engaged, your participants will be too.
You don’t need to have all the answers—you just need to be a thoughtful guide.
Thank You
We’re so grateful for the work you’re doing to develop leaders within your organization. Your role as a facilitator makes a lasting difference, not just in workshops—but in the way leaders show up every day. Keep practicing, keep learning, and keep inspiring the leaders around you.