Rooted in practice, grown through experience
We don't teach theory from slides. We dig into the real tensions, decisions, and conversations that shape how people lead — then we practise them together until they stick.
Plant your next leaderHow we work
Every workshop follows this proven sequence. It is not a lecture — it is a living process that mirrors how leadership actually develops in the real world.
We begin by surfacing the hidden assumptions, habits, and blind spots that shape how you currently lead. Through guided reflection and honest peer dialogue, participants discover what is actually driving their decisions — not what they think is driving them. This stage often produces the most powerful breakthroughs because it challenges comfortable narratives.
We introduce frameworks that are practical, not academic. Each concept is drawn from behavioural science, adaptive leadership research, and the lived experience of facilitators who have led teams through genuine complexity. Participants receive tools they can use in their very next meeting.
This is where the real work happens. Through role-play scenarios, live case studies drawn from your industry, and structured feedback rounds, participants practise new behaviours in a safe but challenging environment. Mistakes are encouraged — they are the richest soil for growth.
Every participant leaves with a personal leadership action plan, an accountability partner, and a follow-up check-in schedule. We measure outcomes at 30, 60, and 90 days to ensure the workshop produces lasting behavioural change, not just a temporary high.
Workshop formats
From half-day intensives to multi-week immersions, every format is designed around your context, not a generic curriculum.
A focused four-hour session ideal for introducing leadership fundamentals to emerging managers. We cover self-awareness, feedback loops, and the art of the difficult conversation. Perfect for teams who need a catalyst without a major time commitment.
Our signature format. Two full days of immersive work that takes participants from self-assessment through to practising advanced skills like leading through ambiguity, managing up, and building psychological safety. Includes evening reflection sessions and a personal development portfolio.
A sustained leadership development journey with weekly half-day sessions, between-session challenges, peer coaching triads, and 360-degree feedback integration. Designed for senior leaders who want to fundamentally shift how they show up. Includes three months of post-programme support.
Measured outcomes
We track real behavioural change, not satisfaction scores. These figures come from post-programme assessments across our last three years of delivery.
Your facilitator
Founder and lead facilitator
Maren spent fifteen years leading cross-functional teams in mining, healthcare, and government before founding Leadership Roots. She holds a doctorate in organisational psychology from the University of Sydney and has facilitated over 300 workshops across Australia and Southeast Asia.
Her approach is direct, warm, and occasionally uncomfortable — because real growth rarely happens in the comfort zone. Participants consistently describe her as the facilitator who finally made leadership development feel relevant to their actual job.
When she is not in a workshop room, Maren tends a native garden in Owen-Macdonaldport and mentors young women entering leadership roles in regional NSW communities.
Common questions
Start a conversation
No hard sell, no automated funnel. Just a real conversation about whether we are the right fit for what you need.
We typically respond within one business day. If your enquiry is time-sensitive, give us a ring — Maren or a team member will pick up during business hours, Monday to Friday.