Classes designed to help decorated-apparel shops build managers who actually lead
Virtual working program focuses on building real leadership systems
Takeaways include priorities, delegation, concrete feedback and problem-solving
The decorated apparel education and training group Shirt Lab has announced the launch of a six-week “FastTrack Leadership Development Sprint” virtual working program for decorated apparel businesses that want managers who lead their production floors instead of just staying busy on it.
Beginning Thursday, October 1, the Leadership Development Sprint guides shop owners and their managers through building a working leadership system inside their business, one piece at a time.
“A busy manager is not the same thing as a leader,” said Marshall Atkinson, co-founder of Shirt Lab. “When every decision comes back to the owner, and the same problems repeat every week, the shop does not have a people problem. It has a leadership system problem. This sprint builds that system.”
The six week “Sprint” will be organized along the following lines of the following topics:
Week 1: Take Control of Your Time and Leadership Priorities
Get control of your time and define what a leader should actually focus on. Build: a Leadership Priority System.
Week 2: Listen Better and Communicate with Clarity
Improve communication by fully understanding others and being understood. Build: a Communication and Listening Framework.
Week 3: Set Clear Goals and Create Real Ownership
Turn work into clear goals with defined ownership and outcomes. Build: a Goal and Ownership System.
Week 4: Delegate Work So It Gets Done Right
Assign work so it gets done correctly and on time. Build: a Delegation System.
Week 5: Handle Tough Conversations Early and Directly
Address issues early and clearly before they grow. Build: a Feedback and Conversation Playbook.
Week 6: Fix the Problem, Not the Symptom
Solve problems permanently instead of repeatedly. Build: a Problem-Solving System.
Among the takeaways participants will leave with will be:
- A leadership priority system that keeps focus on what matters
- A communication framework that improves clarity
- A goal and ownership system with defined outcomes
- A delegation process that ensures work gets done correctly
- A playbook for handling tough conversations early
- A problem-solving system that eliminates repeat issues
“The goal is not another workshop your managers forget by Monday,” Atkinson said. “The goal is a leadership system your team runs every week without you standing over it. Every worksheet and exercise is built to put real structure, ownership, and follow-through in place.”
Among those Atkinson said will benefit most from the six-week program at shop owners, general managers, operations and production managers, team leads and shift supervisors, newly promoted managers and anyone responsible for leading people inside the shop.
Live sessions run Thursdays at 12:00 pm EST on October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, and November 5, 2026. Registration is now open and is only $97 for non-Shirt Lab Tribe members. For program details and registration, click here.
