Resources
Tools, templates, and insights for better leadership
Free assessments, downloadable toolkits, L&D templates, and a self-paced course — all designed by L&D professionals and powered by Merlin.
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Leadership Skill Assessments
Measure 18 workplace skills through conversation with Merlin. Free, 5 minutes each.
Explore AssessmentsPersonality Tests
Discover your MBTI or DISC type through AI-powered conversation, not questionnaires.
Take a TestTry Merlin
Experience AI coaching firsthand. Ask anything about leadership, management, or people skills.
Try Merlin FreeKnowledge Base
1,100+ articles on leadership, management, and people skills
Best Manager Training Software: 8 Tools Compared
A buyer's comparison of 8 manager training software tools across four delivery models, with honest pricing, outcome mechanisms, and who each one actually fits.
How to Push Back on Your Manager's Idea Respectfully
Five word-for-word scripts for disagreeing with your boss without the career risk, how to read whether your manager is open to it, and how to disagree and commit once the call is made.
Decision Logs: A Template for Tracking Why You Chose What You Chose
A decision log is a four-field template for recording why you made a call, so you can review it later and stop relitigating decisions nobody remembers.
Continuous Feedback: How to Make It Actually Work
Most continuous feedback advice is a culture pitch or a lead-in to a tool sale. This is the operating system instead: why annual reviews fail, a weekly cadence, four scripted feedback moments, and how to start without any software.
Assertive Communication Scripts for 15 Hard Moments
Fifteen hard workplace moments, each with the exact assertive words to say, the passive and aggressive versions to skip, and a line for when they push back.
First-Time Manager Mistakes: 12 Examples and the Fix for Each
Nearly every first-time manager mistake comes from still running IC instincts. 12 specific moments, each with a copy-paste script or first-week action to fix it.
Downloadable guides and templates
Practical frameworks, scripts, and worksheets for managers and L&D professionals.
Leadership Toolkits
10 practical toolkits for managers covering feedback, delegation, conflict, listening, and more. Each is 10-15 pages of frameworks, scripts, and exercises.
- One-on-One Meeting Toolkit
- Constructive Feedback Toolkit
- Active Listening Toolkit
- Effective Delegation Toolkit
L&D Templates
19 expert-designed templates for learning and development professionals. Strategy frameworks, evaluation tools, coaching models, and more.
- Training Needs Analysis
- Skills Matrix Template
- Performance Review Template
- 360-Degree Feedback
Learning & Development Fundamentals
A comprehensive, self-paced course for L&D professionals at every stage. 50+ hours of expert content covering strategy, training design, evaluation, coaching, and AI — all permanently free.
Live Masterclasses
Expert-led, cohort-based programs for deeper skill building.
Manager Effectiveness
Taught by Ashish Manchanda
4-week live program covering guidance ability, interpersonal skills, analytical skills, and emotional competence.
$247
Learn More →Conflict Management
Taught by Brenda Hooper, PCC
4-week live program on conflict styles, conversational intelligence, and cultural differences in conflict.
$600
Learn More →Behavioral Interviewing
Taught by Victor Bullara
4-week live program on competency development, S.T.A.R. methodology, and candidate evaluation.
$600
Learn More →The Top Newsletter
Weekly leadership insights for ambitious professionals. Practical advice on management, team dynamics, and career growth.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are these resources really free?
Yes. Assessments, toolkits, templates, and the L&D course are permanently free. Masterclasses are paid programs with live instruction.
Do I need to create an account?
You can browse everything without an account. Downloading toolkits and templates requires an email. Assessments require a free Risely account so Merlin can deliver your results.
Who creates these resources?
Our L&D team and expert contributors including practitioners from organizations like Best Friends Animal Society, Micron, and SAP.
How are these different from what I can find online?
Our resources are designed to work together. Take an assessment, download the related toolkit, and practice with Merlin. It's an integrated development experience, not isolated PDFs.