Empowering Leaders – EMpowerU Programme

At Optimum Skills, developing people is at the heart of everything we do and over the past 12 months, we have brought about some big changes – changes that are making an even bigger difference when it comes to strengthening our team’s leadership capabilities.

As a training provider, we are passionate about upskilling teams.

And they include our own, which, with the partnership between Optimum Skills and Trevor Norman Founder of Tribero, we’ve been able to do.

Working closely with Optimum Skills’ Senior Leadership Team, the programme was shaped around the organisation’s priorities, including building management confidence, strengthening communication, improving delegation, and helping leaders support high-performing teams.

As the founder of Tribero, Trevor has an impressive track record of building emotionally intelligent and confident leaders who can thrive in the modern workplace.

Together, we set out to strengthen leadership capability across teams by focusing on practical management skills alongside emotional intelligence, helping our managers and emerging leaders build stronger, more confident teams.

We partnered with him to capitalise on his specialist insights to create a bespoke programme, EMpowerU, with input from our Senior Leadership Team on the topics best suited to Optimum Skills.

The results have been nothing short of transformative.

“At Optimum Skills, we are passionate about developing people at every level of the organisation. EMpowerU was designed with our leadership team to ensure our managers had the confidence, self-awareness and practical skills needed to support their teams effectively. We’ve already seen a real impact in how colleagues communicate, lead and grow in confidence.” – Diane Shakespeare, CEO, Optimum Skills

“The programme addresses everything from problem solving and delegation skills to conflict resolution,” said Trevor.

“These are all management fundamentals, but from my decades of experience in business, they are often lacking.”

Rarely is it the individual’s fault.

Data shows that approximately 82 per cent of UK managers take on their roles without any formal training.

At Optimum Skills, we are determined that our team never falls into that statistic.

As a leading training provider, we don’t just talk the talk – we walk the walk, ensuring our own staff are upskilled and receive the support they need to develop themselves and thrive in their role.

A core part of the EMpowerU programme focuses on emotional intelligence, or what the programme describes as “leading with EQ.”

“This arms leaders with the emotional intelligence they need to develop high-performing teams and in our workshops, we work on self-awareness, self-management, empathy and relationships,” added Trevor

Like much of the work done at Optimum Skills, this isn’t a PowerPoint-heavy session.

As a training provider, we pride ourselves on creative learning – from our bootcamps to apprenticeships, that immersive learning continues with our own team.

For EMpowerU, that often simply means sitting down and talking as a group, exploring our self-awareness and nurturing that emotional intelligence.

“For the team it’s an opportunity to explore their own behaviours, leadership styles and strengths while sharing experiences with colleagues from across the organisation. This immersive approach encourages honest conversations and helps develop the confidence to apply what they’ve learned in their day-to-day roles.” states Diane

“The best thing about developing emotional intelligence is that the skills you learn aren’t limited to the workplace,” added Trevor.

“You can use them in your everyday life, which means you develop not just as a leader, but as a person.”

The feedback for EMPowerU has been nothing short of sensational.

Currently, the staff average rating for the programme is an astonishing 9.7 out of 10.

In terms of the programmes impact, staff praised the knowledge of the programme leaders and how engaging they made the sessions.

“I’ve been on 15 management training courses in my career, and this was by far the most thought provoking and relevant training I’ve had,” said one delegate.

And having worked with Optimum Skills for a few years now, Trevor believes the results are evident.

The Senior Leadership Team and Trevor have definitely seen the staff blossom.

“Last year, three cohorts of staff at Optimum Skills benefited from EMpowerU, and one of the most visible impacts has been their self-confidence when managing and leading people.

“Because the reality is, that isn’t easy. Management is difficult. If it wasn’t, anyone could do it.

“But by helping leaders understand their own behavioural patterns, utilising strengths and highlighting gaps, they can develop their emotional intelligence.

“And that leads to better relationships, better outcomes – and better leaders.”

“By investing in our own people, Optimum Skills is continuing to build a culture where confident, emotionally intelligent leadership can thrive, ensuring our team are equipped to support both one another and the learners.” – Diane

For Optimum Skills, programmes like EMpowerU are about more than training, they are about building a culture where people feel supported to grow, develop and lead with confidence.

By working closely with our Senior Leadership Team and trusted partners like Tribero, we continue to invest in the development of our colleagues, ensuring they have the skills needed to support one another and the learners we serve.

As we look ahead, leadership development will remain a key priority, helping us continue to build strong, capable teams that can make a lasting difference.

If you like our approach to training, get in touch to find out how we can support your business with upskilling to suit your organisation.