---
title: "Training the next generation of support leaders with Peak Support’s Hannah Steiman - The Intercom Blog"
description: "Hannah Steiman, President of Peak Support, argues that leadership enablement is critical for support teams in high-growth companies, since many leaders lack formal training and must be developed internally. Key challenges include retraining agents from rule-following to proactive problem-solving, coaching using performance data like DSATs, and engaging teams to maintain motivation. Steiman emphasizes that skills such as proactive thinking, vision setting, transparent communication, and ethical decision-making can be taught and are essential for guiding teams through change. For change management, the best approach is gaining buy-in from key influencers, encouraging transparent feedback, and explaining reasoning behind changes. When implementing AI, Peak Support advises optimizing the knowledge base and automating existing processes first before adding AI to avoid overpaying and poor bot performance."
---

# Training the next generation of support leaders with Peak Support’s Hannah Steiman - The Intercom Blog

[Intercom](https://yomu.fyi/company/intercom) · Oct 5, 2026

**Type:** Explainer

## Summary

Hannah Steiman, President of Peak Support, argues that leadership enablement is critical for support teams in high-growth companies, since many leaders lack formal training and must be developed internally. Key challenges include retraining agents from rule-following to proactive problem-solving, coaching using performance data like DSATs, and engaging teams to maintain motivation. Steiman emphasizes that skills such as proactive thinking, vision setting, transparent communication, and ethical decision-making can be taught and are essential for guiding teams through change. For change management, the best approach is gaining buy-in from key influencers, encouraging transparent feedback, and explaining reasoning behind changes. When implementing AI, Peak Support advises optimizing the knowledge base and automating existing processes first before adding AI to avoid overpaying and poor bot performance.

## Context

Podcast interview on the Intercom Blog with Hannah Steiman, President of Peak Support, discussing why leadership enablement is critical for customer support teams in high-growth companies, covering challenges, key skills, change management, and AI implementation.

## Approach / What changed

Peak Support’s leadership enablement program includes structured training on proactive thinking, setting a clear vision, transparent communication, and ethical decision-making, with active participation from top company leaders to build relationships.

## Takeaways

- Many support agents enter leadership roles without formal training, so companies must provide internal development programs to build leadership skills.
- Effective support leaders need to be proactive problem-solvers who think critically, not just rule followers, to adapt to changing customer needs.
- Before adding AI chatbots, companies should optimize their knowledge base and automate existing platform features to avoid overpaying and ensure accurate bot responses.

## FAQ

### What key skills do support leaders need?

Key skills include proactive thinking, setting a clear vision for the team, transparent communication, and ethical decision-making. Steiman emphasizes that these can all be taught, and research supports that leadership skills are learned, not innate.

### How can support teams manage change effectively?

Get buy-in from key influencers on the team, encourage transparent communication and feedback, and explain the reasoning behind changes. This helps balance innovation with consistency and aligns changes with the company's mission.

### What should companies do before implementing AI chatbots?

First optimize the knowledge base, macros, processes, and tags so they are clean and up-to-date. Then automate what you can on your existing platform before adding AI to avoid overpaying and getting a bot that gives bad answers due to dirty data.

**Tags:** [AI](https://yomu.fyi/topic/ai), [Change Management](https://yomu.fyi/topic/change-management), [Customer Experience](https://yomu.fyi/topic/customer-experience), [Leadership](https://yomu.fyi/topic/leadership)

- Source: [Intercom](https://www.intercom.com/blog/videos/training-support-leaders-peak-support-hannah-steiman)
- Source URL: https://www.intercom.com/blog/videos/training-support-leaders-peak-support-hannah-steiman
- Ingested by Yomu: 2026-10-05T18:00:51.347Z

[Read original post](https://www.intercom.com/blog/videos/training-support-leaders-peak-support-hannah-steiman)