LEAD FORWARD

Your 8-week online program towards becoming a people-first leader

Days Left to Secure Early Bird Pricing of €997

Day(s)

:

Hour(s)

:

Minute(s)

:

Second(s)

About Lead Forward

Shape your professional journey with our transformative leadership program. Lead Forward is your key to unlocking your leadership potential. Our leadership program is tailored to meet your unique needs and equip you with the tools to lead with a people-first approach.

Why Lead Forward?

Who you are…

Our program is for a leader who:

  Has at least 1-3 years of professional working experience 

  Works in Tech & Innovation and wants to develop their leadership skills

  Wants to expand their network and learn together with others

Is ready to join online meetings from 10-11:30 AM CET every Thursday (1 February ’24 – 21 March ’24)

    Who you will be!

    With Lead Forward, become a leader who:

      Cultivates a growth mindset for yourself and your team

    Emulates confidence in your capabilities and communicates them

    Leverages your meaningful new connections

    Applies a toolkit of practical frameworks and strategies to tackle every situation

     

      How it Works

      We blend self-paced learning with dynamic live sessions

      Sessions are available as videos so you can schedule learning when it’s best for you!

      Small groups for weekly interactive discussions and real-life case studies.

      Dynamic content tailored to your individual needs as a leader.

      Lead Forward  Batch #10 Timeline

      Jan 22

      Application Deadline

       

      Feb 1 – March 21

      Batch #10 Program Run

       

      Mar 21

      Batch #10 Grand Finale

       

      Batch #10 Curriculum

      Week 1

      Kick-off: Aligning Mindset & Goals

      • Growth mindset
      • Goal setting
      • Identifying & flexing your leadership style

      Learning group meeting:

      Thursday, 1 February, 10-11:30 AM CET

      Kick-off event & getting to know learning group

      Week 2

      Strategic Leadership

      • Effective decision-making
      • Setting OKRs
      • Prioritizing & delegating tasks

      Learning group meeting:

      Thursday, 8 February, 10-11:15 AM CET

      Week 3

      Strategic Leadership

      • Beat failure
      • Getting buy-in
      • Introduction to DEIB
      • DEI metrics
      • DEI strategy

      Learning group meeting:

      Thursday, 15 February, 10-11:15 AM CET

      Week 4

      Recap of Learnings

      • Reflection on learnings
      • Submit assignments

      Week 5

      Team Dynamics

      • Team culture

      • Unconscious bias

      • Inclusive language

      • Micro-aggressions

      • Creating psychological safety

      • Engaged allyship

      Learning group meeting:

      Thursday, 29 February, 10-11:15 AM CET

      Week 6

      Talent Management

      • Talent management
      • Inclusive recruitment & hiring
      • From onboarding to offboarding
      • Coaching your team
      • Giving & asking for feedback
      • Equitable career progression

      Learning group meeting:

      Thursday, 7 March, 10-11:15 AM CET

      Week 7

      Navigating Resistance

      • Empathetic leadership
      • Leading through uncertainty
      • Negotiation

      Learning group meeting:

      Thursday, 14 March, 10-11:15 AM CET

      Week 8

      Grand Finale

      • Reflection on learnings

      • Submit assignments

      Closing session:

      Thursday, 21 March, 10-11:15 AM CET

      Meet the Speakers

      Lead Forward connects participants with some of Europe’s most innovative minds. Be prepared for multiple deep dive sessions with experts from different backgrounds, skillsets and experiences.

      Elisabeth van Holthe tot Echten

      Program Lead

      Paulo André

      Leadership Coach

      Nina Mueller

      Executive Director of Business Operations at moodley

      Amelia Suda-Gosch

      Co-CEO at Female Founders | Partner at Inclusive Minds DEI Consultancy

      Eileen Barnard

      Senior Organisational Culture Manger – DE&I at Babbel

      Michael Kubiena

      Partner & Consultant at Konsultori

      Julianne Lopes

      Head of Operations & HR at Female Founders | DEI Consultant at Inclusive Minds

      Devin Bramhall

      Marketing Growth Advisor & Podcast Host at Don’t Say Content 

      Nadia Fischer

      CEO & Co-founder at Witty Works

      Dinye Hernanda

      DEI Facilitator and Consultant

      Nora Abdoun, PhD

      Organizational Psychologist

      Cathérine Ngoli

      Diversity Expert, Founder & CEO at Cathérine Ngoli Consulting and vaunda Consulting

      Carina Klaffl

      Co-CEO at Female Founders | Partner at Inclusive Minds DEI Consultancy

      Yasmine Guerin

      Founder and CEO at Negotiatress

      Manuel Bruschi

      Co-Founder & CEO at Timeular

      Rupal Patel

      2x Founder and CEO, Advisor, Strategist, and Best-selling Author

      Viktoria Stanzl

      Head of Content at Female Founders | Consultant at Inclusive Minds

      Focus areas for people-first leaders

      Learn the top skills that today’s leaders need

       Execute strategy

      Enhance decision making.
      Align goals. Measure success.
      Beat failure.

       FOSTER BELONGING

      Tackle unconscious bias.
      Use inclusive language.
      Cultivate psychological safety.

      NAVIGATE RESISTANCE

      Practice empathetic leadership.
      Embrace change and uncertainty.
      Master negotiation.

       DEVELOP POTENTIAL

      Inclusion from hire to thrive.
      Lead, empower, ignite your team.
      Feedback for fueling growth.

      Program Alumni

      Our upcoming Lead Forward program is designed to help individuals like you thrive in leadership roles. But you might be wondering, “Who is this program for?” Let’s introduce you to some of our past participants, Daniela, Olena and Ines, who have made significant strides in their careers with the help of our program.

      Daniela Aldescu

      Entrepreneur & Angel investor I Managing Partner – Investor Relations Consultancy @ VERTIK

      Olena Didenko-Weber

      Head of Operations at Avomind

      Ines Hartmann

      Product Owner Customer Decision Hub bei UNIQA

      Companies that trust us

      Lead Forward in Numbers

      80

      Avg. Net Promoter Score

      90%

      Of Alumni grew their entrepreneurial mindset

      160+

      Past participants

      Questions?

      Reach out to Lead Forward Program Manager

      Hi, I’m Elisabeth van Holthe tot Echten! Reach out to me if you have any questions about the program, application process, or if it’s the right fit for you!

      Lead Forward – FAQs

      Who can apply for Lead Forward?

      Anyone working in the tech&innovation ecosystem who has at least 1 direct report can apply for the program. We love having a diverse group of participants, so our past participants have joined from all over Europe (and beyond!) and worked for startups, corporations, NGOs and international organizations. We know from experience that leaders with 1-3 years of leadership experience benefit the most from our program.

      If you aren’t sure the program is a good fit for you, don’t hesitate to contact our program manager.

      How many people participate in one cohort?

      A key component of a successful leadership program is always the participants. There is no maximum number of leaders that can participate in a batch. Within each batch, we create smaller groups, so called “learning groups” of 4-5 leaders, to make it easy to build meaningful connections and relationships, and give everyone the opportunity to exchange ideas. 

      How does the application process work?

      When you apply for the program, we will ask you a couple of questions to make sure the program is a fit for you. In case we have some additional questions after reviewing your application, we will reach out to you via email. Participating in Lead Forward asks both a financial and a time commitment, so we want to make sure you get value out of the program!

      How do I pay the participation fee?

      After you have confirmed you want to participate in the program, we’ll ask you to send your billing details so we can send you an invoice. You can pay via bank transfer within 10 days of receiving the invoice. If you’d like to use the option to pay in multiple installments, we’ll let you know when which amount is due. 

      The participation fee is a barrier for me, can I still apply?

      We want to be as transparent as we can when it comes to pricing.

      In order to create a high-quality program, we use the participation fee to cover the costs of employee salaries, experts in the program, and program tools (community platform, etc). That being said, if paying the participation fee of 1,800 EUR at once is a barrier for you, we can set up a payment plan to pay in four equal instalments at no extra cost. If you would like to use this option, reach out to our program manager.

      We also offer scholarships. If you are interested in finding out more about this option, please contact the program manager by August 20.

      What is the time commitment?

      With everything, what you put in is what you will get out of it. Once a week, you’ll meet for one hour on Zoom with your learning group. To prepare for these sessions, you’ll need about 2-3 hours to complete the lessons. These lessons consist of a combination of videos, exercises and additional resources. These asynchronous materials allow you to schedule learning when it’s best for you.

      What will I learn?

      The program is divided into four focus areas: execute strategy, foster alignment, navigate resistance and develop potential. Each area consists of several lessons, and you’ll get access to content tailored to your leadership level. For a comprehensive overview of the program’s curriculum, download the brochure.

      What do the online meetings look like?

      We meet once a week for 1 hour via Zoom. After a short check-in, you’ll go into a break out room with your learning group (4-5 leaders). Each week, you’ll receive a structure for this meeting, depending on that week’s content – this includes, for example, working on real-world case studies, practicing a particular skill or discussing personal work challenges. 

      Do I get support from the Female Founders team during the program outside of the weekly sessions?

      Yes! If you need any additional support during the program, you can reach out to the program manager for individual guidance.