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Why This Matters
Many professionals consider leadership as the natural next step in their careers, yet few have the opportunity to understand what leadership actually involves before making that decision.
Leadership brings different responsibilities, expectations, relationships, and challenges. This course was created to help participants explore those realities before deciding whether leadership is the right path for them.
Why This Course Exists
To Lead or Not to Lead is a live, facilitator-led, two-day learning experience designed to help professionals develop a realistic understanding of leadership work before making one of the most consequential professional decisions many of them will ever make.
Before deciding whether to lead, first understand what leadership work actually requires.
Rather than teaching participants how to lead, the course helps them examine what leadership actually requires in practice. Through realistic case studies, structured reflection, workplace fieldwork, dialogue, and evidence-based inquiry, participants explore the work itself—responsibility, authority, influence, relationships, rewards, costs, conditions, and tradeoffs that accompany leadership roles.
This course does not advocate for or against pursuing leadership. Instead, it helps participants develop a realistic understanding of what leadership work involves, so they can make an informed decision about whether leadership is the right path for them.
What You'll Explore
By the end of the course, participants will be better equipped to evaluate leadership opportunities with clarity and evidence.
Understand Leadership Work
Develop a realistic understanding of what leadership work actually involves.
Separate Assumptions from Evidence
Evaluate leadership opportunities based on evidence rather than assumptions.
Explore the Tradeoffs
Examine the rewards, responsibilities, authority, influence, relationships, costs, conditions, and tradeoffs associated with leadership.
Compare Leadership Contexts
Explore functional, project, and technical leadership contexts without ranking one over another.
Make an Informed Decision
Leave with a well-informed perspective built on evidence—not a prescribed answer.
Who This Course Is For
Designed for professionals who want to better understand leadership work before making their next career decision.
High-Potential Individual Contributors
Professionals Considering Their First Leadership Opportunity
Technical Professionals Evaluating Management Roles
Project Leaders Exploring Broader Leadership Responsibilities
Experienced Professionals Reassessing Future Leadership Opportunities
Organizations Investing in Leadership Development & Succession Planning
Founder & Executive Facilitator, a2i Learning, LLC
Thomas Carter is Founder and Executive Facilitator of a2i Learning, LLC. During a career spanning more than 35 years, Tom has designed and delivered leadership, management, project leadership, executive development, and professional skills programs throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
A former CEO and senior P&L executive, Tom combines executive leadership experience with decades of global facilitation. His clients have included Google, Apple, IBM, Cisco, Visa, Shell, Nationwide, Barclays, Bank of America, Citibank, the U.S. Library of Congress, the European Commission, and numerous Fortune 500 organizations.
He has also collaborated extensively with Stanford in executive and project leadership education.
Considering a Leadership Opportunity?
Before accepting or declining a leadership role, invest two days in understanding the work itself.
Join To Lead or Not to Lead and develop a realistic understanding of leadership work so that whatever decision you ultimately make, you make it with greater clarity, stronger evidence, and your eyes wide open.