ManageSmart: Tactical Emotional Intelligence™ tools for People Leaders
Master the essential leadership skills to set clear expectations, navigate tough conversations, and lead with confidence—without burning out. A hands-on, practical approach to emotional intelligence for real-world management.
* This program is recognized by SHRM to offer PDCs for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities.
*This Program has been approved for 9 general HR credit hours toward aPHR®, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™, and SPHRi™ recertification through HRCI.
duration
6 weeks
fully virtual
2 cohorts available
tuition
1500
Contact us for payment options
time
12-1:30 pm EST
9-10:30 am PST
dates
april 2026- NOW CLOSED
Wednesday cohort
- 15
APR - 22
APR - 29
APR - 06
MAY - 13
MAY - 20
MAY
dates
october 2026
Thursday cohort
- 08
Oct - 15
Oct - 22
Oct - 29
Oct - 05
Nov - 12
Nov
ManageSmart
Tactical Emotional Intelligence™ Tools—so you can be a better people leader AND human (without losing your mind doing it.)
That’s a recipe for burnout, discomfort, and a whole lot of stress.
At The Human Solution, we believe management is a professional skill set in its own right. And if you want to build high-performing teams and create a culture that thrives, your managers need the right tools—not just instincts.
That’s where ManageSmart comes in.
This is not just another “soft skills” workshop. This is leadership training that actually works.
Any of these sound familiar?
Feels more like babysitting.
If so, you’re not alone.
These challenges are fixable, but only if you learn the right leadership framework.
The Corporate Ladder is Not Set Up for Success.
In fact, we’re setting our leaders up to fail.
Across industries, the mistake is the same. We take our highest-performing individual contributors and promote them to people leadership positions. We throw them in the deep end of the pool with no preparation and expect them to thrive.
Take the best engineer
and promote them to be the leader of the engineers
SPOILER
The skills of people leadership are an independent skillset. They are different than the skills that made the independent contributor excellent at their job.
85%
of new people leaders have received NO management training.
So, if you were GREAT at what you did before your promotion and now can’t figure out why you’re not crushing this new gig, it’s because you weren’t taught HOW. (And you are not alone.)
We Have Your Leadership Toolbelt.
It begins with the FSDI Archetype Assessment —a groundbreaking tool that helps you uncover your unique leadership style, strengths, and growth areas. This assessment provides deep insight into your behavioral patterns and helps you navigate your leadership potential in a way that aligns with your values and strengths.
If you’re ready to learn a better leadership language, this is for you.
Make emotionally intelligent decisions
(without burning out)
Create cultures of accountability and trust
(without toxic positivity)
Navigate failure and risk with confidence
(because it’s inevitable)
Communicate with clarity and impact
(so people don’t just listen, they actually hear you)
Become the Leader People Trust—Because You Handle the Hard Stuff Like a Pro.
Most leadership programs focus on surface-level skills—delegation, communication, team-building—but none of those matter if you can’t handle stress, failure, and tough conversations without spiraling.
The Secret? The FSDI Archetype Assessment.
The Failure, Stress, & Discomfort Index (FSDI) helps you uncover how you instinctively react under pressure—so you can stop defaulting to unhelpful habits and start learning your patterns and tendencies.
The FSDI Archetype Assessment is our proprietary leadership framework, designed to help you master the three essential elements of effective leadership:
Understanding Self
Leadership starts with understanding how you instinctively respond to failure, stress, and discomfort. The Failure, Stress & Discomfort Index (FSDI) reveals your default reactions—so you can regulate emotions, recognize patterns, and lead with intention instead of reactivity.
Understanding Others
Leadership isn’t just about you—it’s about the people you lead. SmartStart teaches you how to manage different personalities, stress responses, and team dynamics—so you can handle tough conversations, set boundaries, and lead effectively without micromanaging or people-pleasing.
Understanding Interaction
Leadership is about how you show up in relationships, communication, and culture. The FSDI helps you see how your leadership patterns impact your team, shape workplace dynamics, and influence your personal growth—so you can lead with clarity and confidence.
Instead of relying on outdated management tactics, ManageSmart rewires how you process leadership stress—so you don’t just act like a leader, you become one.
ManageSmart is uniquely designed around The Human Solution’s Tactical Emotional Intelligence™ Toolbox, giving you a clear roadmap because leadership shouldn’t cost you your well-being.
So you can finally lead without sacrificing what matters most.
Your life.
Unlike Traditional Leadership Programs, here are a few things ManageSmart
doesn’t include:
(aka, why this isn’t just another fluffy leadership course)
No generic leadership advice that ignores how you actually process stress.
No outdated management jargon that doesn’t work in real life.
No one-size-fits-all leadership formulas that ignore individual differences.
No pressure to be a loud, charismatic leader if that’s not your style. (HELLO, ANXIETY)
No ‘just be more confident’ advice that doesn’t actually help.
For too long, leadership success has favored those who naturally command a room—the extroverts, the effortlessly charismatic, the ones who fit the traditional mold.
But ManageSmart is here to change that.
Because great leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room. It’s about understanding yourself, your team, and how to navigate the discomfort that comes with real leadership.
ManageSmart helps you make unconventional decisions about how you lead, communicate, and show up.
Because if you want a different kind of leadership experience, you need a different kind of leadership approach.
What’s Inside ManageSmart?
ManageSmart isn’t just another leadership course. It’s a complete leadership transformation system built on The Human Solution’s Tactical Emotional Intelligence™ framework and the FSDI Archetype Assessment.
The FSDI Gives You a Clear, Personalized Leadership Archetype
The FSDI Archetype Assessment is more than just a personality test—it’s a catalyst for transformation and the foundation of everything we teach.
By identifying your default reactions to failure, stress, and discomfort, you’ll gain critical self-awareness, adaptability, and resilience—key skills for handling tough leadership moments with clarity and confidence.
Which Archetype Are You?
Your assessment results will sort you into one of six Leadership Archetypes—each with unique strengths and challenges when it comes to handling stress, failure, and leadership under pressure
The Warrior
Emotionally intense, action-driven, fights through failure with raw passion. (Hello, temper flare-ups and rollercoaster emotions.)
The Happy Denier
Optimistic, keeps things positive at all costs. (Warning: avoidance of hard conversations ahead.)
The Obsessor
Analytical, detail-focused, replaying failures on a loop. (Perfectionism, anyone?)
The Survivalist
Solution-oriented, strategic, always has a plan. (Aka: can’t sit with emotions, must fix things immediately.)
The Deflector
Quick-witted, master of redirection. (The real question: what are they avoiding?)
The Professor
Deep thinker, overanalyzes, plans everything to death. (Paralysis by analysis is real.)
Your archetype is not good or bad—it’s just your default.
The goal? To understand it so well that you can master it.
The Curriculum
Six 90 Minute LIVE Virtual Workshops:
Navigating Discomfort I: Understanding Self
Using the FSDI Archetype Framework, leaders explore their personal relationship with failure and stress—so they can lead with awareness, not reaction.
Navigating Discomfort II: Understanding Others
Break down the science of failure, stress, and conflict—and learn how to manage personality clashes with emotional intelligence.
Leadership & Expectations: Setting Clear & Effective Expectations
Expectations make or break team performance. Leaders will reflect on their communication tendencies and learn to adapt their style for different personalities—ensuring clarity and accountability.
Leadership & Risk: Delegation & Direct Report Autonomy
Master the Failure & Risk Framework to delegate with confidence, create autonomy, and stop the cycle of micromanagement.
Leadership & Feedback: Giving & Receiving Feedback That Sticks
Turn feedback from an awkward afterthought into an essential tool for growth, motivation, and trust-building.
Leadership & Boundaries: Building Strong Professional Relationships
Because healthy leadership starts with healthy boundaries. Learn to navigate professional dynamics with clarity, confidence, and self-awareness.
ManageSmart is a Game-Changer
Unlike generic leadership programs, ManageSmart is built around the real challenges leaders face daily
01
Practical, applicable skills—no fluff, just real strategies you can implement immediately.
02
03
How It Works
ManageSmart is a virtual workshop experience that meets you where you are.
6 LIVE 90 Min Virtual Workshops led by expert facilitators.
Engaging, interactive sessions designed to help people leaders reflect and practice Tactical Emotional Intelligence™ skills in real-time.
Hands-On Learning
Interactive break-out discussions, whole-group exercises, and real-world applications—because theory isn’t enough.
Peer Collaboration & Interactive Deep-Dive Discussion
Learn from and with other leaders facing similar challenges. Build connections, share insights, and grow together.
Workbook & Guided Reflections to help you process, implement, and take action.
Join ManageSmart Now!
By This Time Next Year, You Could Be…
Showing up with confidence in every leadership moment—no more second-guessing yourself.
ManageSmart will get you there
Leadership doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
With the right framework, the right tools, and the right mindset—you can lead with confidence, clarity, and ease.
Leader Impact Stories
I would absolutely recommend this course to anyone looking to improve their management skills, re-engage their fire for their careers, or learn from others' experiences. 10/10 would take this course again. Bravo, Human Solution!
Jeff 
About the Founder of The Human Solution
Anna Baeten
Anna Baeten is the founder of The Human Solution, a leadership evolution company dedicated to helping leaders navigate discomfort, complexity, and the human side of leadership—without losing their minds (or their weekends).
With over 20 years of experience in organizational scaling, program development, and human-centered leadership, Anna has worked with founders, executives, and high-impact professionals across industries to build organizations that thrive—not just survive.
A passionate advocate for justice-forward systems change, women & BIPOC leadership amplification, and participatory curriculum design, she’s spent her career proving that better leadership isn’t about authority—it’s about creating cultures where people can actually do their best work.
Anna holds two degrees—a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences and a Bachelor of Arts in Professional & Applied Ethics—because apparently, choosing just one was too easy. She sees her educational journey as proof that a liberal arts education is still one of the most valuable assets a leader can have.
When she’s not helping leaders stop over-functioning, start setting boundaries, and actually enjoy leading, you can find her:
iiiii Devouring audiobooks at 2x speed
iiiii Hoarding fine-tipped ink pens like they’re currency
iiiii Sneaking nutritional relevance into her children’s food
iiiii Learning what makes people tick—and how to help them do better and be better
Frequently Asked Questions
❓Who is this program for?
ManageSmart is designed for new and experienced people leaders who want to develop tactical emotional intelligence and practical leadership skills.
❓ What if I’m not in a traditional leadership role?
Leadership isn’t just about titles. If you’re making decisions, influencing others, or shaping the direction of your work and community, you’re leading.
❓Can I get my company to pay for my professional development?
Yes! (In fact we’re pretty passionate about it!) Many companies have professional development budgets for leadership training, and SmartStart qualifies as a career development investment.
We’ve even made it easy for you to ask—check out our guide with a template letter you can submit to your employer.
Investing in your leadership benefits you AND your organization—so don’t be afraid to ask!
❓How long is the program?
ManageSmart is a 6-week virtual program with live sessions, interactive exercises, and on-demand resources.
❓ What is the time commitment?
The program includes live sessions, interactive discussions, and self-paced reflection exercises. Expect to commit about 2-3 hours per week.
❓ What if I can’t make a live session?
All sessions will be recorded and accessible for replay upon request, so you have flexibility with your busy schedule.
❓Will this program help me if I’m already a seasoned manager?
Yes! Even experienced leaders struggle with people management. ManageSmart provides frameworks, strategies, and community support to refine and elevate leadership skills.
❓ What if I’m not in a traditional leadership role?
Leadership isn’t just about titles. If you’re making decisions, influencing others, or shaping the direction of your work and community, you’re leading.
❓What makes this different from other leadership programs?
ManageSmart is practical and actionable. We focus on real-world leadership challenges—not just theory—so you leave with skills you can implement immediately.
❓How do I sign up?
Click the link below to enroll and secure your spot.
Start Leading Like a Boss (Minus the Burnout)
You’ve been balancing expectations, pressure, and the constant challenge of leadership for too long. It’s time to lead with confidence, clarity, and impact—on your terms.
This is leadership training for real people—not robots, not gurus, not overly confident finance bros named Chad.
P.S. Want your company to invest in your professional development?
Use our sample “Training request letter”
