A one-of-a-kind leadership ecosystem™

Training your Managers in the flow of work and constantly evolving with them so they become calm, confident, capable leaders who build high performing teams

Because when managers have the skills to solve problems in real time…

Teams deliver. Your best people stay. The business saves money because you’re not losing thousands to turnover, stress-related absence, and constant firefighting.

…and you won’t ever have to google management training again.

Training that works in the real world, and actually sticks

Bite-sized, personalised support managers that can pull up the second a sticky situation lands on their desk ― so they know exactly what to do in the moment (instead of relying on a workshop from 3 weeks ago).

Ongoing coaching that keeps managers growing as they lead

Managers get LIVE coaching on real challenges (not hypotheticals) so they get confident at handling exactly what's in front of them, right as it's happening.

wellbeing support that fits into the Manager’s day-to-day, not bolted on once a quarter

Zen Boss weaves practical wellbeing tools into how managers work every single day so they can look after themselves, while looking after their team. When managers are happy, teams are healthier, and people actually look forward to Mondays. (Yes, really.)

Trusted by:

WeightWatchers

⌁

Inntel

⌁

commercetools

WeightWatchers ⌁ Inntel ⌁ commercetools

Most managers don’t struggle because they’re bad at their job

They struggle because they’re expected to magically know how to manage people without ever being taught

This is exactly what’s happening in workplaces every single day. 

Businesses pour an eyewatering amount of money into management training programmes that promise to create confident, capable leaders.

Managers spend 6-12 months in classrooms, typing notes on frameworks and conflict resolution, and all the right things to say and do. 

But the second a team member drops the ball, tough feedback needs to be delivered, or anything remotely tricky comes across their desk ― 

Those notes are about as useful as an umbrella in a hurricane

Managers second-guess what to do, so they escalate. 

They flick a “just checking…” email to their line manager, who has to drop what they’re doing to hand-hold the situation. 

That manager loops in someone from HR, just to be safe, who has to take an hour out of their day to get up to speed.

And what could have been resolved in a 10 min conversation now involves three department heads and a whole bunch of Zoom meetings that could’ve been emails!


Which would be fine… IF it were just a one-off.

But when it happens on Tuesday. Then Wednesday. Then keeps happening across every manager, every team, every week — it becomes what we call:

The Productivity Sinkhole

Managers keep sprinting to higher-ups for help

And never learn how to deal with tricky situations, so the same problems keep landing on the same desks, week after week.

Senior leaders & HR keep getting dragged into the weeds

Your most senior people are stuck mediating basic people issues instead of doing the work to drive the business forward

Team members disengage and check out

Because when a manager can’t give clear direction or keeps side-stepping difficult conversations, people stop going the extra mile, and your best people start updating their CVs.

Deadlines slip and projects stall

Because half the team has decided to ‘quiet quit,’ and the other half is happy with producing work that’s just ‘good enough’ to get by.

Your best people leave whilst the rest settle into survival mode

Your high-potential managers leave for workplaces that'll actually invest in their development (not throw them in the deep end and hope they figure it out). High-performing team members follow them out the door. And the ones who stay learn to keep their head down and do the bare minimum.

And the business that SHOULD be thriving is now haemorrhaging money, people, and momentum 

…all because the training stopped ‘working’ the second managers got back to their desks. 

And the numbers back it up

of managers are overwhelmed by their responsibilities, and 73% aren’t equipped to lead organisational change.*

Source: Gartner

£13.2 billion

Is lost annually to unproductive meetings, email overload, and correcting avoidable mistakes. (That’s 7.3 weeks per manager, per year, wasted on work that shouldn’t be happening in the first place)^*

Source: YouGov

£30,614

is the average cost of replacing ONE employee in the UK, and it’s even higher for managers and senior roles**. And since 67% of UK employees have left or seriously considered leaving their job due to poor management…the numbers aren’t great. ^^

Source: Oxford Economics, Unmind

75%

Real leadership isn’t built in training rooms.

And no amount of note-taking or role-playing exercises can prepare managers to manage a team of people with clashing personalities.

Which is why your manager’s knee-jerk reaction is to freeze. OR mishandle it on the spot and have to loop in senior management anyway. 

That isn’t on them, by the way. 

(That’s why you promoted them!)

Your managers are smart, capable people who are brilliant at what they do. 

And with the right support, they CAN be the leaders who hold the business together and bring the best out of your people. 

But expecting that to happen off the back of a training they took 6 months ago is like handing someone a map and expecting them to navigate rush hour traffic in a city they’ve never driven in.  

So what if instead of sending your managers away with a map they'll never use… 

Your managers could get the directions as they're driving?

Meet the training that works while your managers do

Zen Boss equips your managers to solve real problems in the workplace before they escalate and cost you thousands in turnover and lost productivity. 

Instead of a one-off programme they’ll never use…we train your managers for you, with a community and coaching support they can tap into anytime, so they become confident, capable leaders who can make the tough calls, lead high-performing teams, and handle issues early

Tell me more

Zen Boss isn’t an external training programme you have to chase your managers to complete.

It’s a collaborative extension of your HR Team that evolves with your managers and the world of work

(except we don’t take up desk space or a spot on your Org chart)

We offer a complete leadership ecosystem (training, coaching, and constant support ― not a one-off course), so your managers can solve problems at the source, before they ever reach your desk.

Which means instead of being pulled away from your work to put out fires, you can trust:

  • Your managers can own their responsibilities

    Without feeling like they need to run everything up the chain, wait for the ‘right time’ to deal with it, or worse still ― brush it under the rug and hope it disappears.

  • Your managers and your people both feel supported

    They’re not second-guessing every call or drowning under the weight of it all. Which means they can lead their team well, and people feel valued, developed, and looked after.

  • Issues get resolved early

    The small stuff stays small. And the stuff that genuinely needs HR involvement gets escalated for the right reasons.

  • Everyone can focus on the job they’re there to do

    Because their calendars are no longer being hijacked by meetings that could’ve been a two-line email.

Business runs better because your managers know how to lead

They’re making the tough calls, having the right conversations, and bringing the best out of every person on their team. Which means better work, fewer headaches, and a business with room to grow. 

(And you’ll get all the credit for bringing us in 😉)

Let's do this

  • "The team at Inntel have loved working with Kirsty"

    She is a brilliant Coach and really took the time to understand us and our business. I would absolutely recommend working with Kirsty to any organisation looking to develop their teams at all levels.

    Sian Sayward MCIPS (CS) Director of People

    Inntel Ltd

  • "Kirsty's leadership training is truly exceptional"

    “She brings a fresh and dynamic approach that engages everyone involved. Her positive attitude and thoughtful delivery make participants feel valued and motivated. 

    The training materials are top-notch, and her insights helped me better understand my role and adjust my leadership style. 

    Kirsty truly creates a supportive and inspiring environment.”

    Oliver Lanestead - Principal Engineer

    Proxima Fusion

  • "A professional team that delivers on their promises."

    —Former Customer

  • "Every detail was thoughtfully executed. We're thrilled with the outcome."

    —Former Customer

Wondering who would be training your Managers?

That’ll be me. 

Hi, I’m Kirsty Favell, founder of Zen Boss and someone who’s been managing people since the ripe old age of 19. 

I've spent over 20 years leading large, diverse teams, including remote and hybrid setups...and I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the “how on bloody earth did this get signed off?!” when it comes to management training programmes. 

I’ve seen it from all angles:

  • As an employee, working under some spectacularly bad managers 

  • As someone who spent 13 years in Learning & Development, figuring out how to lead while on the job

  • As the person responsible for building and delivering leadership programmes people don’t fall asleep in (or forget by Tuesday)

I'm an accredited Insights Discovery practitioner, am a certified ADHD Coach, hold an MHFA certification, and have 10 years in health and wellbeing. 

All of which means I don't just teach managers how to lead… I make sure they don't burn out doing it!

I know exactly what managers are up against day-to-day, and what they need to keep the business running as it should. 

 (Spoiler: it’s not more colour-coded notes in a notebook they’ll never open again)