Leadership Unlocked: How Preply is empowering today’s leaders for tomorrow’s challenges.
At Preply, we believe high-performing teams are the foundation of growth and innovation. But strong teams don’t happen by chance, they’re built by leaders with the right skills, tools, and support. As we scale rapidly and are at the forefront of cutting-edge technology, it’s important that our managers are equipped to foster collaboration, build exceptional teams, and drive real progress. That’s why we created Leadership Unlocked: a program designed to give our leaders the tools and strategies to build high-performing teams and drive lasting impact.
In our new story, we go behind the scenes with Nadine Wildhaber, our Culture Lead, to hear how Leadership Unlocked came to life and why empowering leaders is key to shaping Preply’s future.
Backstory
When we set out to design this program, we weren’t just filling a gap — we were answering a real need. As Preply grew, so did the demands on our managers. They were leading bigger teams, dealing with more complexity, and having to make fast decisions (often without much structured support). And while leadership training isn’t new, we wanted to do it in a way that felt true to us. So rather than bringing in external trainers to deliver everything, we involved our own leaders in shaping and running the sessions. That felt important because it meant the program came from the people who really know what it’s like to lead at Preply.
So we built the program from the inside out, starting not with content but with conversations seeking an answer to the question, “What kind of leadership do we need to thrive here?” We spoke with managers across Product, Engineering, Design, Customer Сare, People, and beyond. We asked what they were finding hardest, where they felt confident, and where they felt vulnerable.
We heard some incredibly insightful reflections. From the challenges of leading tough conversations and offering constructive feedback — especially when everyone is working at full capacity in an extremely fast-paced environment — to the shift from being hands-on and in the weeds to stepping back, coaching, and learning to let go.One recurring question really stood out: “How do I bring clarity to my team when things are still evolving, and I don’t yet have all the answers myself?”
What became clear for us was that our managers weren’t looking for a generic playbook. They wanted practical tools that worked in our real, dynamic environment. They wanted space to reflect, connect with each other, and build skills they could apply immediately.
So we built a program Leadership Unlocked rooted in those realities. Fast-paced, focused, and deeply human. One that reflects how we work, our principles, and the kind of culture we’re building, where leaders aren’t just expected to drive results, but to do it in a way that lifts others up.
What the Program Looks Like in Practice
Over the course of eight weeks, Leadership Unlocked combines structure with flexibility, reflection with action. Each session is built around real leadership moments, not just theory, but tools managers can use the next day. Here’s what we focused on:
🔹 Foundations of Leadership
The program starts with a conversation about what it means to lead at Preply where managers learn how to identify and apply key growth mindset behaviors to strengthen team culture and performance.
🔹 Master Communication & Feedback in a High-Performing Culture
Giving and receiving feedback came up again and again in our early manager interviews. So we dedicated time to it, practicing real conversations, using Radical Candor and the CORE framework (Context, Observation, Result, Expectations), and role-playing difficult scenarios.
🔹 Set Up Your Team for Success
We helped managers shift from reactive to forward-thinking. We focused on setting clear goals and aligning team efforts with Preply’s mission and strategy. One practical tool introduced was the RICE prioritization method — helping leaders assess what matters most by measuring Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort to make better decisions under pressure.
🔹 Driving Growth and Performance
We challenged the old notion of performance as just outcomes. Instead, we explored it as an ongoing conversation — one rooted in coaching, clarity, and care. Leaders learned how to use the GROW coaching model to support team members’ growth and power their progress.
🔹 Peer Coaching
At the core of the program was something deceptively simple and incredibly powerful: peer coaching. Every manager was paired with a small group to reflect, troubleshoot, and support each other throughout the program. Peer sessions became trusted spaces to ask hard questions, challenge assumptions, and grow together.
Learning from Preply’s Own Leaders
Another key to the program’s success? Our senior leaders showed up not just to speak, but to listen, share, and model the kind of leadership we value.
Each week, a different leader co-facilitated a session alongside expert coaches from PositiveWork. Josh Crossick (Chief Product Officer) reflected on the challenges of scaling product teams while staying focused on what matters most. Francine Pinto (VP of Customer Care) led a session on coaching conversations, showing how moments of trust can shape long-term impact. And Ross Inman (Senior TA Manager) explored the balance between guiding, collaborating, and stepping back to let others lead.
Their openness made an impression. For many participants, seeing vulnerability and honesty from leaders at the top helped normalize the challenges they face in their own roles and made the learning feel real.
What Changed: The Real Impact
The feedback we heard from managers was clear: something clicked.
After completing the program, many said they saw their role with fresh eyes — less about control, more about clarity. They felt more confident giving tough feedback. They felt less alone.
Across the board, participants described the program as energizing, practical, and, most importantly, safe. A space where they could be honest about what was hard, reflect on what was working, and leave each session with something they could use that same week.
The numbers reflect that shift too. The program earned an average rating of 8.9 out of 10, with peer learning and the real-life relevance of content called out as highlights. But what’s more meaningful is what stuck: months after the sessions wrapped, many managers are still using tools like “user guides” to align with new team members, for example.
And the impact doesn’t stop with the managers themselves. Teams led by Leadership Unlocked graduates reported a 15% increase in feeling understood in their long-term career goals and a 9% boost in how clearly their manager sets direction, according to our engagement survey.
It’s a reminder that when we invest in our leaders, we’re also investing in everyone they support.
What’s Next: Growing Leaders at Every Level
The journey doesn’t stop here. Based on what we’ve learned, we’re already designing what comes next.
We’re building advanced tracks of Leadership Unlocked to support senior leaders with the complex challenges that come with scaling teams or shaping strategy. We’re also developing mentorship initiatives and new learning opportunities to keep growth going. Because at Preply, leadership isn’t reserved for a few. It’s a mindset we’re nurturing across the business. It shows up in how we communicate, make decisions, and support each other when things get tough.
Leadership Unlocked is a signal of what we believe: that great leadership is a multiplier, and when we invest in our people, we invest in our future.
If you’re looking to grow your career in a place that values impact, ambitions, and global collaboration, explore our open roles here 😉
