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A 7 week virtual course with Christiana Figueres & Christine Raine
INTRODUCTION
This course is an invitation to step into your full leadership potential—grounded in self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and a commitment to collaborative impact.
Through the lens of systems thinking and the tools of Nonviolent Communication (NVC), participants will explore how to lead with presence, clarity, and purpose across three interconnected levels:
- – Self (inner alignment)
- – Others (relationships)
- – Systemic (organizational and societal impact)
Throughout the program, we’ll draw inspiration from living systems—particularly the mycelium, the underground fungal network that sustains entire ecosystems through quiet, intelligent collaboration. Like the mycelium, regenerative leadership operates through decentralization, reciprocity, and adaptability. By aligning with these natural principles, we can lead change that is resilient, inclusive, and life-affirming—starting from within and rippling outward.
WHY — WHAT’S NEEDED NOW?
Systems leadership requires an ongoing integration of inner cultivation (ways of being) with outer practice (ways of doing). In a time of global complexity and rapid change, we need leaders who can stand in this intersection with clarity, humility, and courage.
This course is rooted in two key questions:
1 – What kind of leader is the world asking me to become and how do I cultivate that within myself?
2- What tools do we need to lead more collaboratively and regeneratively?
GENERAL OBJECTIVE
To empower participants to embrace conscious leadership by cultivating inner awareness, fostering authentic relationships, and co-creating meaningful impact through an inspiring and collaborative leadership style.
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE
- Awaken the innate leadership potential within each participant.
- Develop inner qualities and practical tools that support a collaborative leadership paradigm—one that inspires, empowers, and builds resilience on both individual and collective levels.
- Guide participants through a transformative journey of self-discovery and co-creation to redefine their role as leaders in an interconnected world.
WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?
This program is designed for professionals (approx. ages 20–55) in fields such as:
- Innovation and social impact
- Business and entrepreneurship
- Corporate leadership
- Civil society and nonprofits
- Educators and facilitators
- Speakers and communicators
- Activists and community organizers
- Parents and caregivers
- University students and emerging leaders
It’s ideal for those who are:
- Navigating leadership transitions or growth
- Seeking tools for relational and emotional intelligence
- Eager to contribute to more equitable and humane systems
- Curious about collaborative, emerging paradigms of leadership (“power-with”) rather than authoritarian, imposed (“power-over”) approaches
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN
- A foundational understanding of Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in service of leadership
- Tools for emotional regulation, clear communication and feedback
- Conflict prevention and creative problem solving
- Practices to align personal values with professional impact
- A deeper sense of personal purpose Strategies for co-creating inclusive, value-driven cultures
LEADING FROM WITHIN:
CONSCIOUS LEADERSHIP FOR A CHANGING WORLD
- Program duration: 7 weeks
- Starting: Every Monday, starting September 15 – October 27, 2025
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Live Group sessions: 1.5 hour on Zoom Platform
(see schedule below) - Handouts and Google Classroom
- Empathy buddy calls
- Power Point presentations of each session.
YOUR COURSE FACILITATORS:
Christine is the head of ConversABLE, a social enterprise and empathy movement that works with clients as diverse as local governments, private sector, vulnerable communities, and the United Nations. Their mission is to spread non-violent and empathic communication to as many people as possible. Christine is deeply skillful in guiding participants to develop into stronger leaders by cultivating deeper self-awareness. She will be the main facilitator of this course.
Christiana Figueres is an internationally recognized leader on climate change. She was Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change from 2010 to 2016, where she oversaw the delivery of the historic Paris Agreement. Today she is the co-founder of Global Optimism, co-host of the podcast “Outrage & Optimism” and is the co-author of the book, “The Future We Choose.” She is a student of Zen master Thich Nhat Hahn and applies those teachings in all her work. Christiana is the guest facilitator and will be present in most sessions.
COURSE STRUCTURE & DATES
The course consists of 7 live sessions held via Zoom. Each week combines conceptual learning, experiential practices, and peer reflection. An intentional small group format encourages vulnerability, real-life application, and community-building.
Participants will be paired with a leadership buddy for weekly integration calls. Supplementary readings and handouts will be shared via Google Classroom.
The overall structure of the program is based on 3 sections that reflect the 3 levels of needs: personal, interpersonal, and organisational.
PART I (Weeks 1–2): Discovering Yourself – Nurturing the Roots
Unearth the foundations of conscious leadership by cultivating inner clarity, emotional truth, and inner alignment.
Week 1: Recognizing your Roots
- Presentations, welcome, and onboarding
- Understanding the connection between personal history and leadership style
- Cultivating the “mind as a garden” model:
- (i) Authenticity & vulnerability
- (ii) From triggers to glimmers
- (iii) Integrating being and doing
Week 2: Strengthening the Roots
- Foundations of NVC: needs, emotions, and empathy
- Tools for self-connection and emotional autonomy (including the biology of emotions)
- Working with “hard-to-hear” messages: responding vs. reacting
- Cultivating intention, choice, and self-responsibility
PART II (Weeks 3–4): Relating to Others – Awakening the Forest
Step into the dance of relationship by building trust with deep listening, and navigating relational dynamics with empathy and clarity.
Week 3: Honoring the other trees
- Deep listening and empathic presence
- Creating fertile ground for dialogue
- Building trust with your team
- Celebrating our interdependence through clear, collaborative requests
Week 4: Interconnectedness of the Forest
- Moving from conflict to dilemma
- Navigating difficult conversations with empathy
- The “noble no”: boundary-setting without disconnection
PART III (Weeks 5–7): Transforming the System – Leading like Mycelium
Embody regenerative leadership by aligning with nature’s intelligence—collaborative, adaptive, and quietly transformative.
Week 5: Connecting the underground network
- Mycelial leadership: applying complexity theory to social systems
- Systemic vs. structured approaches: from parts to relationships
- Power dynamics: shifting from extraction to regeneration
- Adaptive leadership in complex, evolving environments
- Embracing a “strong back, soft front” approach
Week 6: Nourishing Collective Intelligence
- Cultures of shared purpose and horizontal decision-making
- Moving from power-over to power-with: leading through value generation, not resource extraction
- Amplifying underrepresented voices and facilitating inclusive processes
Week 7: Flourishing Forests — The Ecology of Collective Resilience
- Leadership for systems change: integrating being and doing
- Celebrating the ecosystem we’ve co-created: harvesting insights, honoring growth, and envisioning the forest we are becoming
- Integration and celebration
WHY JOIN THIS COURSE NOW?
The world is calling for a new kind of leader—one who can hold paradox, stay grounded in uncertainty, and lead from connection rather than control.
This course is a response to that call. Let’s shift the story of leadership together:
- From hierarchy to collaboration.
- From burnout to balance.
- From reactivity to intentional impact.
“Systems leadership involves a continuous dance between inner cultivation (ways of being) and outer practice (ways of doing).”
