The Leadership Programme Canvas
The Leadership Programme Canvas by Coachable helps L&D, Operations and People teams step back and think clearly before they design. Bringing together the business problem, the leadership behaviours that need to change, and the real-world constraints the programme must work within.
The canvas is intentionally practical. It doesn’t ask for perfect answers. It asks for clear ones. Used well, it creates a shared brief that:
aligns stakeholders early
makes design decisions visible
gives internal teams or external partners something meaningful to design against
How to Use This Canvas
1. Start in the middle
Begin with the Core Programme Anchor. Be precise about the business problem you’re solving and the leadership behaviours that need to change. Everything else should ladder back to this.
2. Define success before solutions
Use Impact & Success to get clear on what “working” actually looks like — and how you’ll measure this. And no, happy sheets are not enough. This will save you pain later on when budgets come under scrutiny.
3. Be specific about your audience
In Audience & Needs, define who this programme is for, what they need, and what will make it feel genuinely relevant. Be very specific about the leaders you are focusing on. One size doesn't fit all. Do another canvas for other leaders if you have multiple groups.
4. Ground your thinking in reality
Capture the Context & Culture leaders are operating within. This helps ensure the programme fits the world they’re actually in. The messiness. The stressors. The cultural non-negotiables.
5. Make deliberate structural choices
Use Structure, Scale & Constraints to define the shape of the programme and the limits it needs to work within. These decisions are design inputs, not admin details. You might have to choose one good thing over another.
Keep answers short. Encourage debate as you fill out the sections together. If you find yourself repeating the same idea across multiple boxes, pause and sharpen your thinking.
Best Used For
Designing new leadership programmes
Pressure-testing early ideas before investing in design or delivery
Reworking or refocusing existing programmes
Creating a clear brief for internal teams or external partners
Tips for L&D Teams
This is a thinking tool, not a documentation exercise
Disagreement is a feature — it surfaces the decisions that matter
Avoid jumping to content too early
If the programme feels like it’s trying to do everything, it probably won’t do anything particularly well
For deeper guidance, examples, and design principles, use this canvas alongside the Coachable Six Dimensions Playbook.
