Programs

A program for each transition, not one curriculum for everyone

Every program is built around a specific move in responsibility, what that role asks for, what to practice before it arrives, and what support keeps it in place afterward.

Home / Programs
3 days
In the room, roughly 21 contact hours
8–12
Participants per cohort
90 days
Of structured follow-through after it ends
The Four Programs

Built around the move, not the level

A first-time manager and an enterprise leader are not solving the same problem. Each program is designed for one transition and nothing else.

Now Enrolling

The SHIFT Intensive

Leading others

From peer to ready leader in three days.

See the program
Now Enrolling

ARENA

Leading leaders

Building performance through other managers.

See the program
Workshops Enrolling

ASCENT

Leading across

When functional success stops scaling.

See the program
Workshops Enrolling

EDGE

Leading the enterprise

Enterprise judgment, complexity and consequence.

See the program
Now Enrolling

The SHIFT Intensive

From peer to ready leader in three days.

For: First-line supervisors, newly promoted managers, and high-potential leaders preparing for their first command.

Read about the SHIFT transition →
Format
Three consecutive days, roughly 21 contact hours
Cohort
8–12 participants
Delivery
In-person cohort intensive, drills, labs, simulations and structured debriefs rather than lecture
Before
Leadership Readiness Diagnostic completed ahead of attendance
After
90-day arc with weekly prompts and peer circles, pulse checks at 30, 60 and 90 days, and a follow-up measurement
Now Enrolling

ARENA

Building performance through other managers.

For: Managers of managers stepping back from the work itself.

Read about the ARENA transition →
Format
Three-day cohort development experience built specifically for the transition from leading a team to leading through other leaders
Cohort
Cohort-based by design, creating enough space for practice, peer perspective, facilitated challenge, and individual application
Delivery
Facilitated practice built around the real demands of leading managers: delegation of authority, coaching judgment, accountability, escalation, and leadership across teams
Before
Leadership Readiness Diagnostic completed ahead of attendance
After
Structured application in the leader’s actual environment, with follow-through and evidence used to examine what changed and what still requires development
Workshops Enrolling

ASCENT

When functional success stops scaling.

For: Senior functional leaders taking on scope beyond their expertise.

Read about the ASCENT transition →
Format
Three-day cohort development experience built for the transition from functional leadership to broader organizational responsibility
Cohort
Cohort-based by design, allowing senior leaders to work across perspectives, functions, competing priorities, and organizational boundaries
Delivery
Facilitated practice centered on cross-functional decisions, tradeoffs, influence, systems thinking, and the judgment required when responsibility extends beyond one area of expertise
Before
Leadership Readiness Diagnostic completed ahead of attendance
After
Structured application to real organizational priorities, followed by evidence of what changed and where broader leadership capacity still requires development
Workshops Enrolling

EDGE

Enterprise judgment, complexity and consequence.

For: Enterprise and executive leaders accountable for the whole.

Read about the EDGE transition →
Format
Three-day cohort development experience built for senior leaders moving into enterprise and institutional responsibility
Cohort
Small-cohort by design, creating the conditions for candid discussion, peer challenge, consequential decision practice, and individual reflection
Delivery
Facilitated development centered on enterprise judgment, competing stakeholders, ambiguity, stewardship, organizational consequence, and leadership continuity
Before
Leadership Readiness Diagnostic completed ahead of attendance
After
Structured application to real enterprise responsibilities, with follow-through evidence used to examine what changed and what the leader must continue to strengthen
Inside The SHIFT Intensive

Three days, three movements

Drills, labs and simulations rather than lecture. Each day does one job, and the third day puts the first two under pressure.

Day one

The Engine

Separating expert identity from leadership identity. The habits that earned the promotion are examined honestly, including the ones that now get in the way.

Day two

The Work

Owning outcomes and leading former peers. The conversations that used to be collegial now carry authority, and they get practiced here rather than improvised on Monday.

Day three

The Test

A First 90 Days Simulation under live pressure. Not a case study read aloud, a scenario that moves, with decisions that have to be made in the room and defended afterward.

BeforeLeadership Readiness Diagnostic completed ahead of arrival, so day one starts from something real.
AfterA 90-day arc with weekly prompts and peer circles, pulse checks at 30, 60 and 90 days, and a follow-up measurement.
A working session finishing well

Every new role deserves new development.

By Population

Where organizations usually start

Most organizations do not buy all four at once. They start where the pressure is, then extend as the pipeline takes shape.

Emerging Leaders

People identified as future leaders, before the first move.

Managers

Leaders running teams directly.

Senior Leaders

Leaders carrying function or multi-team responsibility.

Executives

Enterprise and institutional leadership.

Common Questions

Questions people ask

What is the SHIFT Intensive?

A three-day cohort intensive of roughly 21 contact hours for 8 to 12 participants, preparing individual contributors for first-line leadership. It runs on drills, labs and simulations rather than lecture, is preceded by a leadership diagnostic, and is followed by a 90-day arc with weekly prompts, peer circles, and pulse checks at 30, 60 and 90 days.

How long is a BlackRidge leadership program?

The SHIFT Intensive is three days in the room, followed by 90 days of structured application. Programs are designed so development continues after the session ends, because one-off workshops rarely change behavior.

What topics are covered in first-time manager training?

Delegation, giving feedback, difficult conversations with former peers, setting and holding expectations, running effective one-on-ones, prioritization, trust and psychological safety, and the identity shift from expert to manager. Which of these a given leader works on is decided by diagnosis rather than a fixed syllabus.

Which program fits the transition in front of you?

Our specialty is leadership transition.
Our capability is leadership development.Every new role deserves new development.
Start a Conversation