L.E.A.D. the Winds of Change

CEA has worked with hundreds of leaders at all levels in our Leadership Excellence and Development (L.E.A.D) Certification program to become more effective and authentic leaders. One constant remains over the years: managers, supervisors, and team leads alike want to grow their leadership skills. Many have shared that they feel stuck and feel they are missing out on their full potential. They understand that leaders who adapt and evolve are leaders who win.

A recent Franklin Covey global survey revealed that only 42% of employees view their leaders as trusted, and 62% describe their leaders’ management style as outdated. Employees say leaders need to be more collaborative rather than transactional. The need to build trust-based cultures in a workplace that demands unprecedented adaptability, emotional intelligence, and strategic foresight is more important than ever. Understanding today’s leadership trends is essential for leaders to be effective.

Leadership trends identified for 2026 by the Center for Leadership Studies (CLS) are key areas for all leaders to embrace.

1. Human-Centered Leadership
2. Purpose-Driven Cultures
3. Agility and Change Management
4. Continuous Upskilling
5. Leadership at Every Level

Leaders who have completed CEA’s Leadership Excellence and Development (L.E.A.D) Certification have commented on how much they value the practical tips and strategies they received in the session and how they are able to immediately apply these in their workplace. This certification program will provide new supervisors and seasoned managers with the tools they need to be effective and collaborative leaders.  

We as leaders must champion learning cultures where skill development is part of our daily work. Companies need leaders who can quickly identify emerging skill gaps and create learning opportunities to support team members’ growth. This means creating environments where testing new ideas, feedback, and growth become normal parts of our workplace.

Outstanding leadership is not doing just one big thing; it is doing those small things well and frequently. For example, connecting your team’s daily work to your company’s goals and helping team members understand how their contributions impact your company’s success. When we connect, collaborate, and communicate with our teams regularly and with clarity and purpose, we are building high-performing teams.

Join us on April 28 as we launch our next L.EA.D. Certification program. This five-week course curriculum will include a mix of both HR compliance and essential skills. We will cover how to build strong and engaged teams, communicate like a leader, lead change, manage performance, and navigate difficult conversations towards conflict resolution. These are core operating skills that will make you a formidable leader people want to work with and follow.

If you are registering 3 or more, we are offering a 10% discount! Just use the code: LEAD2026 at checkout to receive the discount.