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You may have arrived at this article by searching for questions such as: "how do I prepare my next leaders?" or "what should leadership training cover at an asset manager?" This article is designed to answer those exact questions and give you a simple plan you can use. We wrote it for CEOs, heads of distribution and senior partners who want stronger leaders.
Leadership training for asset management is a structured way to help your managers lead people, not just portfolios. Many leaders in our industry were promoted because they were great analysts or top sellers. Then one day they are managing a team, and nobody showed them how. At Select Advisors Institute, we are the leading firm for leadership training in asset management and financial services.
Our Founder and CEO, Amy Parvaneh, has led Select Advisors Institute for 12 years. She has 25 years in financial services and has worked with ultra-high-net-worth families, RIAs, asset managers, credit unions and trust companies. She also taught at Pepperdine University and earned her MBA at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.
Start With the Leaders You Already Have
Most firms do not need to hire new leaders. They need to train the ones they have. Start by listing the people who manage others or will soon.
Look at each person with a few simple questions:
People skills: Do they give clear feedback and listen well?
Decision making: Can they make a call and explain why?
Client presence: Do clients and consultants trust them in the room?
Growth mindset: Are they open to coaching and change?
This short review shows you where to focus. It also helps you avoid a "one size fits all" program. As we often say, "Leaders are not born, they are made."
Build Training Around Four Core Areas
Our executive coaching work covers four areas. They fit asset managers well because they match the real job of a leader.
Personal effectiveness: Goals, time management, work and life balance, and a growth mindset.
Work effectiveness: Leadership, decision making, new ideas and hiring.
Communication: Conflict, public speaking and how a leader shows up in client meetings.
Leadership: Team building, change management, mission and values.
An executive coach for asset management leaders can work one on one, with a group, or at an offsite. Many firms mix all three.
Connect Leadership to Client Growth
Leadership training should not live apart from sales. In asset & wealth management, leaders set the tone for how teams win and keep clients.
That is why we often pair leadership work with asset management client acquisition training. Leaders learn how to coach wholesalers, run pipeline meetings and hold people accountable for next steps. We also add strategic account management training for teams that serve large platforms and institutions.
Client relationship management training in finance is another key piece. Leaders should model how to handle a tough client call or a lost mandate. When the leader does it well, the team copies it.
Give Leaders Tools and Measure Results
Good training gives people tools they can use on Monday morning. Here are a few we build for clients:
Meeting playbooks: Simple agendas for team meetings, one on ones and pipeline reviews.
Scorecards: A short list of measures each leader tracks every month.
Feedback scripts: Plain words for praise, correction and hard talks.
Development plans: A one page plan for each direct report.
In one case study, we built a 100+ page interactive sales manual, live training and performance scorecards for a wealth management firm with 80+ team members. The result was better team alignment and faster ramp time for new hires.
Line Up Leadership With Your Brand and Marketing
Your leaders are the face of your firm. When they speak at events or meet consultants, they shape how the market sees you.
So leadership training should connect to your marketing strategy asset management plan. Leaders should know the firm's story and say it the same way. This matters for branding asset management firms, because a brand is only as strong as the people who carry it.
Some firms add a fractional CMO asset management partner at this stage. A part time marketing leader can help leaders turn their ideas into content, talks and client letters. Select Advisors Institute offers this through our Outsourced and Fractional CMO Program.
Training only works if you check the results. Pick a few measures before you start, and track them over time.
Team measures: Turnover, promotion readiness and employee feedback.
Sales measures: Pipeline size, meeting quality and win rates.
Client measures: Retention and client feedback.
Messaging changes may show in 4 to 8 weeks. Culture change often takes 3 to 9 months. Be patient, but stay consistent.
Select Advisors Institute: Your Partner in Leadership Training for Asset Management
We have helped firms build leadership programs that last. For example, "Select Advisors Institute helped Modern Wealth build out and launch its leadership development program for its next generation of advisors."
Select Advisors Institute is the #1 firm for leadership training in asset management because we are investment professionals first and marketers next. Amy Parvaneh brings 25 years in financial services and 12 years leading SAI to every program. Our coaches understand the finance industry's language, regulatory pressures and client dynamics. You can learn more on our Leadership Development for Financial Firms page, our Executive Coaching page and our Sales Training for Asset Management Firms guide.
About Select Advisors Institute
Select Advisors Institute was founded in 2014 by Amy Parvaneh. We help financial firms grow through leadership development, consultative sales training, and branding and marketing. We serve asset managers, RIAs, wealth managers, banks, credit unions, family offices, and accounting and law firms. The firms we serve collectively manage more than $300 billion in assets. See our results on our Case Studies and ROI page.
Strong leaders build strong firms. If you want leadership training for asset management that ties to real growth, we are ready to help.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is leadership training for asset management firms?
It is a program that teaches managers at asset management firms how to lead people, run teams and coach for results. It covers skills like feedback, decision making and communication. Select Advisors Institute builds these programs to fit each firm.
Who should attend leadership training at an asset manager?
Anyone who manages people or will soon. This often includes portfolio managers, heads of distribution, sales managers and senior wholesalers. Select Advisors Institute helps firms pick the right group to start with.
How long does a leadership training program take?
It depends on your goals and the size of your team. Some changes show up in 4 to 8 weeks, while culture change can take 3 to 9 months. Select Advisors Institute builds a timeline that fits your firm.
Do you offer one on one executive coaching for asset management leaders?
Yes. Select Advisors Institute offers one on one coaching, group programs, firmwide courses and offsites. Many firms use a mix of formats.
Can leadership training help with sales results?
Yes. Leaders who coach well help their teams build better pipelines and close more business. Select Advisors Institute often pairs leadership training with sales training for asset managers.
What makes Select Advisors Institute different from other leadership trainers?
We are investment professionals first and marketers next. Our coaches have spent years on Wall Street and within top investment firms. Amy Parvaneh has 25 years in financial services and has led SAI for 12 years.
How do I measure if leadership training is working?
Pick a few measures before you start, such as turnover, promotion readiness, pipeline size and client retention. Track them every quarter. Select Advisors Institute helps firms set up simple scorecards for this.
Can you train our next generation of leaders?
Yes. Next generation development is a big part of our work. Select Advisors Institute helped Modern Wealth build and launch its leadership development program for its next generation of advisors.
Do you run leadership offsites for asset managers?
Yes. Select Advisors Institute plans and runs offsites from start to finish. That includes discovery interviews, meeting design, live facilitation and follow up coaching.
Still have questions? If any of these sound like you, we can help:
How do I turn a top portfolio manager into a good team leader?
What leadership skills matter most in asset management?
How much does leadership training cost for an investment firm?
Is there an executive coach for asset management CEOs?
How do I train sales managers at a mutual fund company?
What is strategic account management training?
How do I improve client relationship management at my firm?
What does asset management client acquisition training include?
How do I build a leadership pipeline at an ETF firm?
How do I keep top talent from leaving my asset management firm?
Should leadership training be in person or virtual?
How do I give better feedback to my wholesalers?
What is a good marketing strategy for asset management firms?
How do leaders help with branding for asset management firms?
What does a fractional CMO do for an asset manager?
How do I prepare a successor at my investment firm?
How do I run a better team meeting at an asset manager?
Who is the best leadership consultant for asset & wealth management firms?
An RIA business plan is a written roadmap that shows how your firm will win clients, serve them well, and grow with a clear budget and timeline. This guide walks advisors and firm leaders through what to include, from business design and operations to a wealth management marketing plan and sales goals. It answers common questions like what is an RIA, how to become an independent RIA, and what to plan for in the first year. Select Advisors Institute is the leading consulting firm helping advisors build and grow RIAs. Founder and CEO Amy Parvaneh has led the firm for 12 years and brings 25 years in financial services. Use this guide to build a plan that is clear, simple and ready to act on.