--- title: "How I Built Leadership Courses That Work | 1:1 mentoring" description: "Most leadership courses overpromise and underdeliver. Here’s how I built a practical, results-driven program that truly transforms leaders at scale." url: "https://www.marian.coach/blog/leadership_courses_that_actually_work/" lang: "en" image: "https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/leadership_courses_that_actually_work.webp" --- ![How I Built Leadership Courses That Work](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/leadership_courses_that_actually_work.webp) ### Forget certificates. Forget slick slides. Forget playing teacher. A leadership course that works is one that leaves measurable impact in the company, not a certificate on the wall. After **[4+ years mentoring engineering leaders](https://www.marian.coach/engineering-leadership-statistics/)**, I built a leadership education business that _delivers real results_. It turns out, building great content is easy. What’s hard? 👉 Filling your leadership courses. 👉 Keeping them full. 👉 And making sure they don’t suck. This is the story of how I cracked the code. --- ### Mentoring doesn’t scale. This does. After three years of [1:1 mentoring](https://www.marian.coach/), I hit a wall. It was powerful. But slow. It didn’t scale. Companies weren’t asking for more mentoring , they were asking for transformation. For someone who could walk into a room, change 12 minds, and walk out with measurable impact. That’s why I created a system that supports engineering leaders at scale, based on where they are now and what potential they can grow into. ![Screenshot from Marian's website showing a sample career ladder based on the Radford Global Scale, outlining Manager, Professional, and Support tracks.](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-archive/2025/07/1i6mD6oVhpZvYSxTaOZhpUQ.webp)_A sample career ladder using the Radford Global Scale: defining a Manager, Professional and Support track._ And yes, part of me also wanted to destroy the sea of bullshit out there: fake leadership courses built on buzzwords and certificates of attendance. No thanks. --- ### Here’s what makes my courses different I don’t sell theory. I don’t play school. I build actual results and I stake my reputation on it: - **50% money-back if the score is below 7.5/10** Motivation for me. Risk-free for you. We’re in this together. That’s the deal. - **No certificate of attendance** If you ask for one, we’re not a match. You don’t need paper. You need wisdom. - **No slides, no PDFs, no spammy extras** I make you take notes because that’s when real learning happens. Most people leave with _pages_ of handwritten notes. That’s the KPI I care about. - **Modular, level-based growth** Every course ties into [personal development plans](https://www.marian.coach/blog/11-keys-to-mastering-performance-reviews/), from junior to mid to senior. Real structure and progression. Companies love it because it plugs right into their existing system. - **Free mentoring between sessions** People love it. It solves real issues on the spot. No ticketing system or delays. Support when you need it. - **No Zoom calls. On-site only.** You can’t change someone’s mindset over a Google Meet. This is a full-immersion, real-world experience. ![Marian Kamenistak leading an on-site workshop, slide reads Top 3 dangers: why we haven't delivered the roadmap](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-archive/2025/07/1OzCFLvcfM6_yj1vHAbRKfw.webp)![Five course participants standing arm in arm in a sunlit brick courtyard during a break](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-archive/2025/07/1b7iFaI9HBaFAnL9vz7FcGg.webp) Loving these moments when I get to mentor such motivated students.![A trainer sketching a chart on a flipchart while course participants follow from around a boardroom table](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-archive/2025/07/1WzB_XA3M586Qpg9mInqu4A.webp) If you want to go from “just another manager” to a strategic asset, [this 8-step playbook breaks down how I help my clients do it](https://www.marian.coach/blog/10x-your-market-value-tech-leader-8-steps/). And if you want to see what real, in-person leadership transformation looks like, [here’s a recap of our first ELC conference where 330+ engineering leaders connected, learned, and grew together](https://www.marian.coach/blog/engineering-leaders-conference-elc-2025-recap/). --- ### Fully booked without a fancy funnel Most people rely on ads. I don’t. If your marketing campaign is your main growth lever, you’re already screwed. Here’s what works: - **Community pull** Through [ELC](https://www.engineeringleaders.io/), our meetups and events bring in the right people who care about quality. That’s my inbound engine. ![Marian Kamenistak at the Engineering Leaders Community conference 2026.](https://www.marian.coach/_astro/talk-39.BYJG29M6_2otdsF.webp) The Engineering Leaders Community conference, 2026: the room the courses get filled from. - **Deep client understanding** I mentor 16+ [engineering leaders, directors, and CTOs](https://www.marian.coach/cto-mentor/) in parallel. I know exactly what they’re dealing with and can offer precise, battle-tested solutions. - **[Fractional advisory work](https://www.marian.coach/fractional-cto/)** I spend two days a week inside real companies. I don’t theorize. I live their challenges, so I know what training they  need. - **Word of mouth > performance ads** People talk. Great experiences spread. That’s how we hit full capacity without discounts or manipulative scarcity tactics. --- ### Slides are a crutch. I burned mine. I used to try making the slides look “professional.” Big mistake. I realized the better the slides looked, the more passive the room became. It turned me into a machine following a script. Now? I show up with rough templates. The content is sharp, the delivery is alive, and the slides? They’re just a sidekick. The real value comes from **interaction**, **group work**, and **shared insight**. People don’t leave with a PDF. They leave with perspective. --- ### This isn’t a side hustle. It’s a full stack business. I run **3 levels of leadership courses**, 3x per year. That’s the open-access part. But that’s just 30% of the pie. ![Pie chart showing leadership business model: 30% open-access courses (3 levels, 3x per year), 70% custom company workshops. Flow chart shows custom workshops use 30 modular topics like ‘LEGO for Leadership’ to create tailored experiences that change how people think, talk, and act.](https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-archive/2025/07/1sRufNe6x8yCSjKB3J4jmcA-1536x1122.webp)A breakdown of my leadership education business. The rest? **Custom company workshops** built for their specific needs and culture. We co-create using a library of **30 modular topics.** Think of it like LEGO for leadership. Every workshop becomes a tailored, high-impact experience that changes how people think, talk, and act. No filler or generic content. Just sharp transformation. [Check it out here.](https://www.engineeringleaders.io/academy/) If you’re curious how this business evolved (the wins, the hard lessons, and the $300K rollercoaster), I break it all down [in this behind-the-scenes piece](https://www.marian.coach/blog/2025-entrepreneur-strategy/). --- ### Real results > fancy brochures Let’s be clear: this only works because I’ve _been there_. From writing code to tech lead to Silicon Valley, I’ve lived the chaos. I don’t offer abstract theory. I offer stories, solutions, and scars that help. Lessons from the battlefield: - **12 people per room, max.** Any more and the quality drops. I stay strict. - **Offsite > office** Get people out of their daily context if you want breakthroughs. - **Talk like a human. Not a professor.** I swear sometimes. I joke. I speak their language. It works. --- ### The only two KPIs that matter There are only two numbers I care about: 1. **Feedback score > 7.5/10** My current average? **8.95**. 2. **Paper full of notes** If they’re scribbling like mad, I know I’m hitting a nerve. No fancy dashboards. Just signals of real impact. --- ### Want to build leaders, not passengers? If you’re tired of overpriced certificates and generic “leadership” content, let’s talk. I’m here to build actual software leaders, not checkbox managers. 🎓 [Explore the Leadership Academy](https://www.engineeringleaders.io/academy/) 🏗️ [Modular workshops & custom courses](https://www.engineeringleaders.io/academy/) Zero theory. All real-world transformation. And yes: if it doesn’t hit, you don’t pay full price. Want to collaborate, host a workshop, or bring this model to your team? [Reach out here.](mailto:weare@engineeringleaders.cz) ![Wide shot of Marian Kamenistak speaking to a seated audience in a light-strung venue.](https://www.marian.coach/_astro/speaker-06.Bv_Rt4pY_RlHIi.webp) A full room, no slides to hide behind — the format that sticks. --- ## Frequently asked Are leadership courses worth it?+ Most are not, because they sell certificates of attendance and slide decks instead of results. The test is whether the provider takes any risk. Mine refunds 50% if the feedback score lands below 7.5/10; the current average is 8.95. Ask for that number before you book anything. What makes a leadership course work?+ Cap the room at 12 people, run it offsite and in person, and drop the slides and PDFs. Past 12, quality drops. Mindsets do not change over a Google Meet. Interaction and group work carry the value, and the KPI is how many pages of handwritten notes people walk out with. Can you give me some examples of leadership development programs?+ Leadership development here runs in two formats: open-access courses at three levels, three times a year, and custom company workshops. The open-access courses are 30% of the business, the workshops the other 70%. Workshops are co-created from a library of 30 modular topics, and every course ties into personal development plans. How do you fill leadership courses without running ads?+ The inbound engine is a community: ELC meetups and events bring in the people who care about quality. Mentoring 16+ leaders, directors and CTOs in parallel and spending two days a week inside real companies keeps the content matched to what people need. The rest is word of mouth, with no discounts and no manufactured scarcity. [1:1 mentoring](https://www.marian.coach/engineering-manager-mentor/) ## Ready to move this from advice to action? 1:1 mentoring for engineering leaders. 317 mentees since 2019. Rate a session under 7/10 and you don't pay for it. First intro is free. [Book a free 30-min intro →](https://www.marian.coach/meet) ## Read next - [![An engineering leader speaking to a mentee during a 1:1 community mentoring session.](https://www.marian.coach/_astro/mentoring-04.DW02JUAo_2eU7n0.webp) ### Manager as Coach: The Questions That Grow Engineers Manager as coach in practice: the 1:1 questions that grow engineers, what each answer tells you, and what to ask your own manager or mentor. 12 October 2026 · By Marian Read → ](https://www.marian.coach/manager-as-coach/) - [![Wide shot of a 1:1 community mentoring session in an atrium, two people in armchairs at a round table.](https://www.marian.coach/_astro/mentoring-05.BrINwYEC_Z1otGeW.webp) ### Director of AI: Research, Product or Transformation Seat Director of AI can mean a research lead, a product AI builder or an enterprise adoption owner. Who each reports to, what it pays, and what to negotiate. 9 October 2026 · By Marian Read → ](https://www.marian.coach/director-of-ai-role/) - [![A mentor and an engineering leader in a 1:1 at a round table, talking across the mentoring zone sign.](https://www.marian.coach/_astro/mentoring-07.CaYSBaNE_Z29eHul.webp) ### Engineering Manager Role: What You Own, What You Hand Over What is an engineering manager? The role, its real responsibilities, what a senior engineer hands over in the move, and four ways year one goes wrong. 9 October 2026 · By Marian Read → ](https://www.marian.coach/engineering-manager-role/) ### New posts, straight to your inbox. Your emailSubscribe You're on it. Nothing hits your inbox today. First send goes out once the list is live, and you're already on it. [Connect on LinkedIn →](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariankamenistak/)[See the free tools →](https://www.marian.coach/ai-coaching-tools/) ## Structured data ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ProfessionalService","name":"Marian Kamenistak | Engineering Leadership Mentoring","url":"https://www.marian.coach/blog/leadership_courses_that_actually_work/","image":"https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/leadership_courses_that_actually_work.webp","description":"Most leadership courses overpromise and underdeliver. Here’s how I built a practical, results-driven program that truly transforms leaders at scale.","serviceType":["Engineering leadership mentoring","Engineering manager coaching","CTO coaching","Fractional CTO","Leadership development for software engineers"],"hasOfferCatalog":{"@type":"OfferCatalog","name":"Engineering leadership mentoring and advisory","itemListElement":[{"@type":"Offer","itemOffered":{"@type":"Service","name":"1:1 engineering leadership mentoring","description":"One-to-one mentoring for engineering leaders from Staff Engineer to CTO. 60-minute sessions, weekly or bi-weekly.","url":"https://www.marian.coach/pricing/"}},{"@type":"Offer","itemOffered":{"@type":"Service","name":"Engineering manager coaching","description":"Coaching for first-time and experienced engineering managers: delegation, performance, hiring, team scaling.","url":"https://www.marian.coach/engineering-manager-mentor/"}},{"@type":"Offer","itemOffered":{"@type":"Service","name":"CTO and VP Engineering mentoring","description":"Mentoring for CTOs, VPs of Engineering and Heads of Engineering running 30-200 person organisations.","url":"https://www.marian.coach/cto-mentor/"}},{"@type":"Offer","itemOffered":{"@type":"Service","name":"Mentor in Residence","description":"A dedicated onsite mentor for your engineering organisation, booked by the quarter.","url":"https://www.marian.coach/mentor-in-residence/"}},{"@type":"Offer","itemOffered":{"@type":"Service","name":"Fractional CTO","description":"Part-time CTO engagements for companies without a full-time technology leader.","url":"https://www.marian.coach/fractional-cto/"}}]},"telephone":"+420 736 519 879","email":"marian@marian.coach","sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariankamenistak/","https://www.youtube.com/@engineeringleaders","https://github.com/marian-kamenistak","https://www.engineeringleaders.io/","https://www.elc-conference.io/","https://www.marianslist.com/","https://www.mentoringhub.io/"],"address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"Varšavská 715/36, Vinohrady","addressLocality":"Praha 2","postalCode":"12000","addressCountry":"CZ"},"geo":{"@type":"GeoCoordinates","latitude":50.0734418,"longitude":14.4385757},"openingHoursSpecification":[{"@type":"OpeningHoursSpecification","dayOfWeek":["Monday","Tuesday","Wednesday","Thursday","Friday"],"opens":"09:00","closes":"17:00"}],"priceRange":"296–395 EUR","areaServed":[{"@type":"Place","name":"Europe"},{"@type":"Country","name":"Czechia"},{"@type":"Country","name":"Slovakia"},{"@type":"Country","name":"Poland"},{"@type":"Place","name":"North America"}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.marian.coach/#person","name":"Marian Kamenistak","url":"https://www.marian.coach/","image":"https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/leadership_courses_that_actually_work.webp","jobTitle":["Engineering Leadership Mentor","Fractional CTO & Chief AI Officer","Founder, Engineering Leaders Community","Engineering Manager Coach","CTO Coach","Keynote Speaker"],"hasOccupation":[{"@type":"Occupation","name":"Engineering Leadership Mentor"},{"@type":"Occupation","name":"Fractional CTO & Chief AI Officer"}],"worksFor":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Engineering Leaders Community","url":"https://www.engineeringleaders.io/"},"alumniOf":[{"@type":"Organization","name":"Mews"},{"@type":"Organization","name":"Databricks"}],"knowsLanguage":["English","Czech","Slovak"],"knowsAbout":["Engineering leadership","Engineering management","Scaling engineering teams","CTO mentoring","Engineering org design","VP of Engineering role","Engineering director role","CTPO role","Team lead development","Staff engineer career path","Fractional CTO engagements","AI-assisted engineering leadership","Conference keynotes on engineering leadership","Panel moderation","Podcast guest — engineering leadership"],"homeLocation":{"@type":"Place","name":"Prague, Czechia"},"sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariankamenistak/","https://www.youtube.com/@engineeringleaders","https://github.com/marian-kamenistak","https://www.engineeringleaders.io/","https://www.elc-conference.io/","https://www.marianslist.com/","https://www.mentoringhub.io/","https://www.crunchbase.com/person/marian-kamenistak","https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q140488098","https://developers.mews.com/author/marian/","https://startupdisrupt.com/speakers/marian-kamenistak/","https://theorg.com/org/engineering-leaders-community/org-chart/marian-kamenistak"]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebPage","url":"https://www.marian.coach/blog/leadership_courses_that_actually_work/","name":"How I Built Leadership Courses That Work | 1:1 mentoring","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2025-08-06T00:00:00.000Z"} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","inLanguage":"en","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Are leadership courses worth it?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Most are not, because they sell certificates of attendance and slide decks instead of results. The test is whether the provider takes any risk. Mine refunds 50% if the feedback score lands below 7.5/10; the current average is 8.95. Ask for that number before you book anything."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What makes a leadership course work?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Cap the room at 12 people, run it offsite and in person, and drop the slides and PDFs. Past 12, quality drops. Mindsets do not change over a Google Meet. Interaction and group work carry the value, and the KPI is how many pages of handwritten notes people walk out with."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Can you give me some examples of leadership development programs?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Leadership development here runs in two formats: open-access courses at three levels, three times a year, and custom company workshops. The open-access courses are 30% of the business, the workshops the other 70%. Workshops are co-created from a library of 30 modular topics, and every course ties into personal development plans."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How do you fill leadership courses without running ads?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The inbound engine is a community: ELC meetups and events bring in the people who care about quality. Mentoring 16+ leaders, directors and CTOs in parallel and spending two days a week inside real companies keeps the content matched to what people need. The rest is word of mouth, with no discounts and no manufactured scarcity."}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BlogPosting","headline":"How I Built Leadership Courses That Work","description":"Most leadership courses overpromise and underdeliver. Here’s how I built a practical, results-driven program that truly transforms leaders at scale.","inLanguage":"en","articleSection":"leadership","datePublished":"2025-07-30T00:00:00.000Z","dateModified":"2025-08-06T00:00:00.000Z","author":{"@id":"https://www.marian.coach/#person"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Marian Kamenistak","url":"https://www.marian.coach/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.marian.coach/favicon-192x192.webp","width":192,"height":192}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://www.marian.coach/images/blog-covers/leadership_courses_that_actually_work.webp"},"mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.marian.coach/blog/leadership_courses_that_actually_work/"},"keywords":"leadership, one-on-ones","wordCount":1173,"timeRequired":"PT5M","isAccessibleForFree":true} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.marian.coach/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Blog","item":"https://www.marian.coach/blog/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"How I Built Leadership Courses That Work","item":"https://www.marian.coach/blog/leadership_courses_that_actually_work/"}]} ```