Imagine the scene: one of your team managers champions empowerment, engagement, and culture but their team’s performance is slipping and morale is low. As their leader, how do you uncover the root cause and turn things around?

This is just one of the scenarios explored in Director Challenge, Abilitie’s newest simulation-based development programme for senior leaders. Launching September 3, 2025 and debuting at the Learning Live conference in London, Director Challenge is designed for leaders of leaders: those responsible for guiding multiple teams and developing the managers who run them.

"When we set out to create a simulation for leaders of leaders, we knew the challenge wasn’t simply adding complexity. It was about capturing the shift in mindset — from owning the work to empowering others, from focusing on one team’s output to aligning many teams around the enterprise", so Andy Rosenberg, Abilitie Director of Learning Programmes.

At Learning Live, attendees will be among the first to preview this new programme and have the opportunity to explore how it helps senior leaders become force multipliers for results, culture, and alignment. Participants in the programme must coach and influence a cast of AI-powered team managers, each with distinct development needs: from resistance to change or reluctance to delegate, to over-indexing on climate at the expense of accountability.

"When we create the team manager characters, we give them rich backstories, distinct personalities, and real growth journeys. We want learners to see their strengths, their flaws, and their potential", so Heather Beckham, Abilitie Content Director.

The simulation mirrors real-world complexity, requiring leaders to balance strategic oversight with people development, all while delivering business-critical results. It’s a safe, immersive environment to practise high-stakes decision-making, culture-building, and cross-functional leadership.

The programme is built to address the most pressing challenges senior leaders face today:

• Scaling performance through others
• Balancing strategic priorities with talent development
• Setting cultural tone through coaching and role modelling
• Leading through ambiguity and organisational change

Abilitie will be showcasing Director Challenge at Learning Live 2025, held September 17–18 at Convene, 133 Houndsditch, London.