Be part of a growing network of over 2000 leaders for sustainable development in more than 90 countries!
Be inspired by the 2009 LEAD Europe scholarship recipients.
Fellows’ Stories
My name is Klaus and I live in brussels with my wife and 2 boys. With a professional background in business consulting and banking I am currently working as a programme manager of economic development within the EU cooperatio. My work focuses on providing support to small and medium-sized enterprises in a number of Bus-Saharan African countries.
The LEAD experience was an eye opener to me. The LEAD training provided me with tools and knowledge on how to get a grip on the complex issues of sustainable development, but most of all, how to get the necessary inspration. It has probably been just one of those life-changing moments.
As you become part of the network, your organisation will also be able to tap into knowledge and skills, which were not accessible to them before via you. On top of it, you have become more valuable for your organisation.
I am a senior consultant on climate change policy, working on projects around the world.
The LEAD course helped me learn about different styles of leadership, but most of all, helped me to develop my own sense of leadership. Before joining the course, I did not regard myself as a leader in any way, but rather as someone who works with leaders. Hoewever LEAD has enabled me to develop a sense of leadership by providing a simulating and inspiring journey, surrounded by like-minded people who I can learn from.
The course has exposed me to leaders from organisations, backgrounds and sectors. As a result I haven been on an inspiring adventure working directly with those people on different projects around the world. everything from adaptation in developing countries to art and climate change. The value of the LEAD network cannot be underestimated and I am still realizing its full potential.
I work for the European Commission, where I am currently responsible for European policy programmes to promote corporate social responsibility.
I learned a lot about sustainable development from the many inspiring people that I met. But most of all I learned about myself and how I can contribute to a better, wustainable world. What’s more, the learning has certainly not ended. I remain in daily contact with other participants regarding different projects, and i continue to learn from that too.
My experience with LEAD continues to inspire me, and I suspect it will continue to do so for a long time to come.It’s also given me confidence – to consider myself a leader and to argue more strongly for things I believe to be right.And it has greatly broadened my horizons.I’m exploring how art can be used to communicate about climate change – not something I would have imagined 12 months ago!
I am the Director for Regional Policy and Internationalisation within the West Regional Development Agency, Romania. I lead a team of twelve people in charge of the activities for regional planning, development projects, attraction of FDIs and international relations. I equally supervise the work of two organizations created by our agency – one focused on innovation and technology transfer, while the other on the regional automotive cluster.
LEAD International offered me a perfect environment where I could choose my lessons, as well as explore and bring my leadership to a next level. It allowed me to take ownership of my experience and knowledge, and also proactively use an extensive amount of information regarding the world context today, for the aim of creating practical solutions in my daily work. It definitely turned me into a more innovative leader…Moreover, sustainability is now a priority on our regional development agenda, either in terms of policy or project development.
Centuries ago, Confucius pronounced: “Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I will remember. Involve me and I will understand.” and this is the way the LEAD program works: involving the participants.
I work in Guatemala developing energy generation projects through renewable sources and I keep continuous communication with the social sectors of each phase. LEAD has facilitated me new perspective in the environmental sustainability for the management of the actions, negotiations and planning in local, regional, national, and international scales.
Today the world demands leadership. LEAD prepares you to be a leader. I invite you to participate.
I realised that we live in a global village, we are all the same, and experience the same problems. We are never alone, and there are passionate people across the globe doing what they believe in, fighting for people and planet.
When I feel uninspired, I think of some of the fiery individuals, and I create a new passion and joy for life. The LEAD experience changed me. It taught me more compassion, and it inspired me to become a true agent of change. Since we live in a global village, inspiration is only an e-mail away…
Would I recommend LEAD to anyone? Yes, I would, wholeheartedly. It is an organisation with its heart in the right place, and LEADers all over the globe will work towards being the change they want to see in the world.
To read more stories by LEAD Fellows click here.
Find out who is a LEAD Fellow.
LEAD Online Community
In 2009, LEAD launched the LEAD Online Community. This platform was designed to encourage greater connectivity and collaboration between Fellows of different regions and generations. LEAD sees the cultivation of this type of social networking as vital for sustainability; to ensure the importance of knowledge exchange and access of information does not come at a cost to the environment.
The platform is very dynamic providing a number of great communication tools including a vibrant discussion forum, interactive events calendar, community space for sharing photos and videos, as well as working groups for Fellows to collaborate on specific topics. We currently have a broad range of working groups around such topics as, Gender and Climate Change, Arts for Development, Water and Sanitation, Fair trade and Green Economy, and Parenting and Sustainability.