KONG LEADERSHIP CONVERSATIONS
Installing the Management Operating System for the Pre-IPO Journey

In a fast-scaling environment, speed is our greatest asset, but it often comes at the cost of clarity. Many leaders find themselves "head down" in technical execution, treating 1:1s as mere status updates rather than strategic levers for growth.  The Kong Leadership Conversations Series is a six-month journey designed to change that. We are moving beyond "words on a wall" to install a standardized Management Operating System across the organization. This program certifies our managers as technical "multipliers" who lead with the predictability of an API—transforming 1:1 connections into high-performance engines that drive ownership, accelerate new-hire success, and deliver results at scale.

This program is designed to help you:

1

Drive Performance
​& ​Accountability at Scale: 
Install the cadence of 1:1s, goals, and feedback that ensures teams execute with ownership against Kong’s most critical business priorities.

2

Strengthen Talent Engagement
​& Retention: 
Build the capability to create "Talent Magnet" teams that accelerate new-hire success and retain the industry's most sought-after talent.

3

Elevate Decision Making & Agility: 
​Equip you to prioritize effectively, make high-quality decisions, and lead across functions with a unified executive voice.
PARTICIPANTS
newly promoted leaders or experienced managers seeking to align with the Kong "Gold Standard" of leadership
DURATION
six months (one module every three weeks to ensure time for "Real-World" application)
TIME
pre-work (1 hr), 2-2.5 hrs. of group coaching every 3 weeks (13 hrs.)
​COHORT SIZE 
​12-15

Program Curriculum

To ensure the journey is tailored to your unique challenges, participants complete the following prior to Kick-off:
  • Leadership Principles Survey: A digital "360-lite" anchored in Kong’s core principles to identify your current baseline.
  • Psychometric Profile: Completion of the Workplace Big Five to understand how your natural defaults influence team velocity.
  • The Performance Gap: Identify one specific "Performance Obstacle" within your current team to solve throughout the series.
MODULE 1 (2.5  hours):  Leading & Managing at Kong
​Thu, Jun 18th - 9:00am - 11:30am PT
Focus: The Management Operating System

​Define the shift from tactical technical execution to strategic leadership. Utilizing your Workplace Big Five data, we align on the required Kong Management Operating Rhythm, ensuring your daily behaviors drive the high-performance culture required for scaling.
MODULE 2 (2.5 hours):  The Coaching Conversation
​Thu, Jul 2nd - 9:00am - 11:30am PT
​Focus: Inspire, Coach, Inspect
​
To scale impact, you must move from "Fixer" to "Coach." We introduce the GROW Coaching Model to build team resilience. Learn to facilitate insight rather than providing all the answers, building organizational capacity so your team can navigate complexity independently.
MODULE 3 (2 hours):  The Goal Setting Conversation
​Thu, Jul 23rd - 9:00am - 11:00am PT
​Focus: Lead Like an API – Cascading GKSOs
​
Setting goals that "stick" requires co-creation. In this module, we balance business performance (The What) with individual aspirations (The Why). Leaders will master the science of Pushing vs. Pulling to get genuine buy-in and practice the "Make it Clear" SMART checklist to translate functional GKSOs into outcome-based goals that eliminate performance friction.
MODULE 4 (2 hours):  The Feedback Conversation
Thu, Aug 20th - 9:00am - 11:00am PT
Focus: Results Matter

​Moving beyond "nice" culture, we master the SBI Framework to deliver evidence-based feedback. We specifically examine the hidden costs of "performance debt"—what happens to team velocity and morale when feedback is withheld—ensuring that "Clear is Kind" becomes your lived reality.
MODULE 5 (2 hours):  The Resistance Conversation
​Thu, Sep 10th - 9:00am - 11:00am PT
​Focus: Disagree and Support

Master the art of "Creative Friction." This module focuses on the second half of Disagree and Support: the commitment to stand behind a decision once it is made. Learn to navigate cross-functional conflict and maintain executive-level momentum even in the face of individual disagreement.
MODULE 6 (2 hours):  The Career Conversation
​Thu, Oct 01 - 9:00am - 11:00am PT
​Focus: Talent Magnets

Shift from "climbing the ladder" to the Career Lattice. Leaders learn to uncover motivations (preferences, values, passions) to help the team move Upwards, Sideways, or Expand in their current roles. We bridge these individual paths to organizational resilience by introducing Individual Development Plans (IDPs) and the Talent Bench, ensuring leaders can identify and prep successors. We conclude with the "Always Be Recruiting" mindset and tailored onboarding to accelerate new-hire success.

Program
Outcomes
By the end of this six-month journey, you will be a Certified Kong Leader, equipped with a standardized toolkit to lead with confidence and speed. You will graduate with:

  • A "High-Frequency" Management Cadence: You will have installed a repeatable "Operating System" for your team, mastering the consistent rhythm of 1:1s, goal alignment, and real-time feedback that eliminates manual effort and prevents re-work.

  • The Ability to Drive Accountability Without Friction: You will move from "policing" performance to "inspiring" ownership. By mastering the SBI framework and the art of co-creating goals, you will lead a team that hits its GKSOs with predictability and speed.

  • A "Coach-Like" Mastery of Development: You will stop being the "Fixer" and start being the "Multiplier." Using the GROW model, you will unlock your team’s problem-solving intelligence, freeing up your own time to focus on strategic high-level priorities.

  • The Skills to Navigate "Creative Friction": You will lead through disagreement with an executive voice. You will know exactly how to handle resistance and conflict, ensuring that even when the team "disagrees," they remain unified and committed to Kong’s broader success.

  • A Reputation as a "Talent Magnet": You will lead the team that everyone wants to join. By mastering the Career Lattice and personalized onboarding, you will become an expert at retaining high-performers, building a deep talent bench, and accelerating the success of every new hire.
​
  • A Powerful Cross-Functional Network: You will build deep, lasting relationships with a cohort of your peers across Kong, breaking down silos and creating a supportive community of practice as you navigate the pre-IPO journey together.