Stop Drowning and Start Leading
A 10-week programme that systematises leadership fundamentals so you have mental space to be the leader you actually are.
Next cohort: January 2026
Tuesdays: 4:30-6:30pm China time
Limited to: 25 carefully selected participants
You Already Know What Good Leadership Looks Like
You've done the training. Read the books. Got the qualifications.
But you're still dreading difficult conversations. Your meetings feel pointless. Decisions exhaust you. You can't access your natural leadership style because you're using all your mental energy on basics that should be automatic by now.
Sound familiar?
The Real Problem:
Cognitive Overload
The problem isn't that you lack leadership ability.
The problem is cognitive overload from basic leadership tasks you haven't systematised.
Think about master teachers. Classroom management looks effortless because they've made the basics automatic. That's what we're doing with leadership fundamentals.
Limited to just 25 leaders per cohort
What This Programme Does
The Leadership Intensive systematises 10 leadership fundamentals so they become automatic. This frees up mental capacity to actually lead instead of constantly thinking about how to lead.
This isn't about new theories or frameworks.
It's about clearing the cognitive clutter so you have mental space for the change work described in the best selling book, "Change Starts Here".
Meet Shane Leaning
I understand what it's like to want real leadership growth, not just more theory
Having worked with thousands of leaders across schools globally, I've seen brilliant people frustrated by leadership development that doesn't actually develop them. That's exactly why I created this intensive - to guarantee you grow as a leader in ways you can see, feel, and measure.
And I understand the cognitive overload challenge personally. Having transitioned from excellent teacher to overwhelmed middle leader to confident senior leader, I know what it feels like when the basics aren't automatic. As co-author of 'Change Starts Here' (Routledge, 2025), I've learned that you have everything you need for effective leadership - you just need to clear the barriers preventing you from accessing it.
Host of Chart-topping Education Leaders Podcast
Trusted by thousands of leaders worldwide across all sectors
Bestselling Author of "Change Starts Here"
Recognised expertise in organisational transformation
Worked with Thousands of Leaders Globally
Extensive experience across diverse schools and groups
Co-founder of Work Collaborative
Dedicated to inside-out change in organisations
Get instant access to my 10 Leadership Levers with practical actions you can implement this week. The same framework used by thousands of leaders worldwide to create real, measurable growth.
Download this 17-page guide and discover:
The Teacher-Leader Bridge that turns your experience into leadership strength
The Authenticity Filter for values-based decision making
The Shared Understanding Check that transforms your communication
7 more research-backed leadership levers with immediate actions you can take today
Why it’s called an Intensive
Step 1: Apply & Get Accepted
Submit your application with written response and short video to ensure you're ready for the intensity and committed to real growth
Step 2: Experience 10 Weeks of Intensive Challenge
Each week you'll be pushed beyond your comfort zone with deliberate practice, real-world implementation, and immediate feedback on your leadership
Step 3: Graduate with Proven Growth
Complete the programme with measurable leadership development, a personalised playbook, and evidence of real behaviour change
In my Education Leaders Intensive, I know that you want to be an authentic, confident leader who creates meaningful change in your school. In order to do that, you need to systematise the leadership fundamentals that are currently draining your mental energy. The problem is that most leadership development adds more to your cognitive load with new theories and frameworks, which makes you feel more overwhelmed and further from your authentic leadership style.
I believe that every leader deserves to access their authentic leadership potential without cognitive overwhelm. I understand how frustrating it is to know what good leadership looks like but struggle to access it consistently because you're drowning in basics, which is why I created this intensive programme specifically designed to systematise the fundamentals so you can be authentically you as a leader.
Here's the difference: Master teachers make classroom management look effortless because they've systematised the basics. This programme does exactly that for leadership fundamentals.
Here's how I do it:
I systematically work through 10 leadership fundamentals that create cognitive overload
You practice each one until it becomes automatic in your real leadership context with structured support
I measure your progress so you can see and feel the mental space opening up for authentic leadership
So, schedule your strategy call today. And in the meantime, download my free curriculum guide. So you can stop drowning in leadership basics and instead experience the systematic growth that transforms you into the authentic leader you're capable of being.
Programme Details
📅 Duration & Format
10 weeks over 3 months
January - April 2026
Weekly 2-hour live sessions
Tuesdays, 5-7PM China time
🏆 Certification
Education Leaders Intensive Certificate
Research-based competency framework
Digital badge for LinkedIn
🎯 Time Commitment
5-6 hours per week total
2 hours live online sessions
3-4 hours implementation
Includes leadership trio work
👥 Cohort Size
Carefully selected participants
Application with written response
Short video submission
Ensures aligned commitment levels
📚 What's Included
All session recordings
Evidence-based frameworks
Implementation tools
Prompt cards for each lever
Personal Leadership Playbook
🌏 Optional Add-ons
Shanghai Workshop: £500 (2-day "Leading as a Coach" intensive)
1:1 Coaching with Shane: £600 (Four personal sessions)
"I'm launching the first cohort in January 2026. If you just need a certificate for your next job interview, this isn't for you - go do an NPQ or a master's instead. But if you want to transform your practice and develop skills that will make you feel more confident, more energised, and more able to handle the challenges of leadership after just a few months together - this is the programme for you. It's practical. It's intense. That's why it's called an intensive."
Need Help with Strategic Decisions?
Get my Strategic Decision Guide - the framework from our Education Leaders Intensive that helps you choose the right decision-making process for any situation.
Download this 4-page guide and discover:
How to classify decisions by impact, urgency, and reversibility
The right decision-making process for each situation type
Stakeholder mapping templates to avoid headaches later
A step-by-step framework for when you're under pressure
Investment in Your Leadership Growth
Join the most intensive, practical leadership development programme designed to guarantee your growth as a leader
The Education Leaders Intensive
School and organisational group discounts available Multiple participants receive exclusive group coaching sessions
Included Benefits:
✓ 10 weeks of intensive leadership challenge and growth
✓ Evidence-based frameworks from 100+ research studies
✓ Personal Leadership Playbook with measurable progress tracking
✓ Leadership trio peer coaching and accountability
✓ All session recordings and implementation materials
✓ Research-based certification with proven competency
✓ Ongoing community access with fellow leaders
FAQs
How is this different from other programmes?
Most programmes add more to your cognitive load with new theories and frameworks. We do the opposite - we systematise leadership fundamentals so they become automatic, freeing your mental capacity to be authentically you as a leader.
Who is this programme for?
School leaders experiencing cognitive overload from leadership basics - those who know what good leadership looks like but struggle to access it consistently because they're drowning in fundamentals.
What's the time commitment?
The programme includes weekly live sessions plus implementation activities integrated into your existing leadership work. Most participants spend 4-5 hours per week on the programme.
Ready to add UMPH to your leadership?
Haven't downloaded the curriculum & price guide yet? Get it here.
Applications close when my carefully selected cohort is full