Free business and management training, since 1999
525+ articles, frameworks, and tools — used by over 130 million people worldwide.
What is BusinessBalls?
BusinessBalls is a free, independent learning resource covering leadership, management, and personal development. Every article is written to be practical and jargon-free — whether you're a first-time manager or an experienced director.
We don't sell courses or lock content behind a login. Everything here is free, and always has been. If you want structured training with certificates and an LMS, our sister site SkillsCircle has you covered.
Latest from the blog
All posts →-
In defence of management by walking around
The most dismissed management technique of the 1980s solved a problem most managers still have today: they only hear what people decide to tell them in meetings.
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Managing up without the slime
Managing up has a reputation problem — but the alternative isn't integrity, it's just being quietly mismanaged by your own boss.
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Stop using the feedback sandwich
The positive-negative-positive feedback structure feels considerate but consistently fails to land the message — and the person it protects most is the manager giving it.
Browse by topic
Start with the areas most people come to BusinessBalls for.
Leadership
Leadership styles, theories, and how to apply them as a practising manager.
Communication
Effective communication at work — from difficult conversations to presentation skills.
Emotional Intelligence
Understand and develop emotional intelligence to lead and work with others more effectively.
Change Management
Models, tools, and practical guidance for leading people through change.
Explore the library
All 525+ articles →- Planning Workload Time Management And Prioritisation
Covey's Planning Matrix
Learn how to use Covey's Planning Matrix/the Eisenhower Grid to allocate and plan your work activities.
- Performance Management
Performance Management: Tips and Techniques
Performance Management is widely regarded as the responsibility of managers. However, both manager and employee must align approaches to optimise results.
- Project Management
Project Management Templates
A collection of Downloadable Project Management Templates.
- Personal And Professional Development
What are "Soft Skills"? – Free Leadership Training
Explore soft skills' significance in personal and professional development, how they differ from hard skills, and uncover tips to enhance your abilities.
- Leading Teams
Emotional Intelligence in Teams
Emotional intelligence (EQ) can differ between members of your team which can affect performance and relationships and cause tension between employees.
- Business Development
Introductory Sales Letters
Free samples of sales introduction for inventions submissions, sales appointments, plus other examples and templates.
Test your knowledge
Browse 1,000+ quizzes →Interactive quizzes embedded into our most-read articles — plus our full general-knowledge catalogue.
- 10 questions
Kotter's 8 Steps for Leading Change: Interactive Quiz
Test your knowledge of John Kotter's 8-Step Process for Leading Change — from establishing urgency to anchoring new behaviours in organisational culture.
- 10 questions
The GROW Model of Coaching: Interactive Quiz
Test your knowledge of the GROW coaching model — Goal, Reality, Options, Will — popularised by Sir John Whitmore in Coaching for Performance.
- 10 questions
Belbin's Team Roles: Interactive Quiz
Test your knowledge of Meredith Belbin's nine team roles — from Plant to Completer Finisher — with this 10-question interactive quiz.
- 10 questions
Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory: Interactive Quiz
Test your knowledge of Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory with 10 questions covering hygiene factors, motivators, and job enrichment.
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