For most training teams, resource allocation remains one of their greatest — and most consequential — challenges. Each decision concerning where to focus the team’s attention will directly impact the organization’s ability to succeed. Knowing where and when to leverage limited resources is just as vital as understanding how to deliver them.

Unfortunately, when making such decisions, many training teams neglect one of their organization’s most consequential roles: second-line leaders. These are typically directors, one level above the first-line managers directly overseeing teams of individual contributors. Overlooking second-line leaders is a serious miscalculation because effective coaching and training of these directors can often yield the greatest impact on your training team’s investment.

Since second-line leaders act as a bridge between senior leadership and the wider organization, a strong second-line training program creates a ripple effect producing far-reaching benefits at every level of the org chart. These include generating a more effective leadership pipeline, fostering a productive top-down coaching culture and ensuring alignment of priorities across the organization that maximizes sales and financial impact. What training team could ask for more from their next initiative?

Understanding the Role of Second-Line Leaders

While the responsibilities of first-line managers and their team members are usually known to trainers, the role of the second-line leader is often not as familiar. This lack of understanding can prevent trainers from uncovering these leaders’ training needs — and from recognizing the unique opportunities inherent in providing an effective second-line leader training program.

As previously noted, second-line leaders are uniquely positioned to influence the success of the entire organization. By acting as a bridge connecting senior leadership to the wider organization, second-line leaders provide strategic alignment, foster a performance-driven culture and maximize cross-functional collaboration. Through their role, these second-line leaders instill ownership, promote accountability, coach to expectations and communicate the vision of the organization to their teams. By improving a second-line leader’s ability to carry out their role, trainers help their entire organization flourish.

The Risk of Neglecting Second-Line Leaders

It is understandable that trainers often overlook their organization’s second-line leaders. Many mistakenly assume second-line leaders — who are usually few in number, and often among the most experienced members of the organization — simply do not need coaching or training as much as first-line leaders or the teams they manage.

Failure to effectively coach second-line leaders can create serious, cascading problems. When second-line leaders fail in their role, priorities become misaligned, first-line managers become disengaged and performance across teams becomes inconsistent. Consider again the analogy of second-line leaders acting as a bridge between leadership and the wider organization. What happens if that bridge fails?

Best Practices for Training and Coaching Second-Line Leaders

Though second-line leader training initiatives may vary widely, there are core elements often found in all successful programs. Keep the following in mind as you consider your next steps:

Bring in senior leadership early on.

As you design your program, seek the advice of those who manage your second-line leaders. Input from senior leadership will help you identify gaps, understand needs and customize your approach. Just as important, gaining senior leadership support will help you gain the trust and buy-in of your second-line leaders, whose attitudes concerning your program will likely mirror their managers’.

Personalize your approach.

New training programs invariably raise some degree of skepticism and defensiveness in those targeted by the initiative. This may be particularly true for second-line leaders, who are accustomed to having greater autonomy and are often entrenched in their ways of working. Overcome their skepticism by individualizing your training approach. Take time up front to identify the specific needs of each participant (through coaching, assessments, peer group work, etc.) and build in flexibility that allows these needs to be met.

Define key competencies for the role.

In many organizations, the second-line leader role has never been clearly articulated. In fact, it is not uncommon for two second-line leaders in the same organization to have a different understanding of their responsibilities. It is paramount for you to make sure all stakeholders are on the same page at the outset.  

Focus on critical behaviors.

Create opportunities for participants to discuss, reflect on and improve their ability to carry out the skills core to their role. Topics may include business acumen, strategic thinking, coaching, providing effective feedback, emotional intelligence and cross-functional collaboration.

Select experienced coaches to facilitate the program.

Second-line leaders require coaches who truly understand — even share — their professional background and level of managerial experience. Choosing the right coach may be the most important decision you make when designing your training program. If you have difficulty finding a single coach with the breadth of experience you need, consider bringing on multiple coaches, each with a different area of subject matter expertise.

Create psychological safety.

For coaching and peer group sessions to succeed, participants must feel comfortable discussing their missteps and asking for assistance. Earn participants’ trust by having coaches frankly discuss their own professional journeys, including their setbacks. Be sure to praise honest contributions and encourage participants to feel a sense of ownership over their own progress.

Carry out an effective communications campaign.

Ahead of the program’s launch, use communications to build excitement, define expectations and let participants know to whom they should address any questions. Be sure to also keep senior leadership informed about key dates and, once the program begins, the progress of the initiative.

Have others model what good looks like.

Invite senior leadership and, in time, second-line leaders who have completed your program, to discuss their roles, share their professional journeys and answer their questions. Their lived experience can create unanticipated insights and lasting benefits.

Incorporate multiple opportunities for social learning.

• Simulations: Having participants take part in realistic simulations is a fantastic way to help them put newfound skills into practice in a safe environment. Be sure to follow up by asking participants to reflect on their experiences. Then provide honest feedback about where they succeeded and what they could improve upon.
• 1:1 and group coaching: The training needs of each second-line leader will vary, even as they share many commonalities. Providing both individual and small group coaching will best enable your second-line leaders to identify areas of opportunity, set concrete plans of action and learn from the experience of peers and coaches.
• Real-world projects: Continually develop ways to connect training back to your second-line leaders’ day-to-day responsibilities. Ask participants to complete aspects of their role then share their process and results with a coach or peer group. These projects can help participants see their role from a new perspective and gain insights into how to improve.
• Opportunities for job shadowing: Connecting your second-line leaders to senior leadership and other managers through job shadowing opportunities will give them an up-close view of successful management, even as it forges new connections across the organization that will last long after the program concludes.

Though starting a second-line leader training program may be daunting, it is undeniably worth the effort. There may be no other training initiative you launch in 2025 that could create such wide-reaching, cascading benefits for your entire organization, including an improved coaching culture, enhanced leadership pipeline and greater strategic alignment.

To kick off your design process, review and evaluate your organization’s approach to leadership development. This will help you uncover how you might incorporate a more focused coaching and training program for second-line leaders. And, once you are ready to launch, start with a pilot class. Doing so will allow you to refine your program — and ensure that it lasts.