Lead with intention, empower others and facilitate change.
Lead the Change supports you to take the next steps on your journey to be a conscious, creative and transformational leader. You will learn new ways to lead yourself, lead others and lead change to make a positive impact on the world around you.
Together, we will explore:
Who am I really and how does this impact how I show up in the world and as a leader?
How can I make an impact without abandoning myself along the way?
How can I work with others in a way that helps bring out their best?
What is my authentic leadership style?
What is the work that is mine to do, and how can I do it with greater calm, confidence and courage?
What tools can I use to facilitate change in a collaborative way?
The program will take you on a three part journey to: lead yourself (uncover your deeper motivators and build trust in yourself); lead others (create safe, inclusive and supportive spaces for people to co-create and collaborate); and lead change (fill your toolkit to facilitate change processes).
Lead the Change is here to foster the leadership we need,
for the future we want.
The Content
Lead the Change is a 6 month program delivered in 3 modules. Each module lasts 2 months includes working on the topics with yourself and putting them into practice with others. This is what you will explore in each module:
Knowing yourself at a deeper level as a leader.
Explore the leader as a human being.
Use the Enneagram to understand your deeper drivers and patterns and how that impacts how you work with others.
Understand human change processes.
Design your personal leadership practices to manage your time, energy and motivation.
Clarify and step into your inner and outer purpose.
Learn how to manage fear and your inner critic.
Build trust in yourself and learn to embody that.
Create your own personal and leadership development plan.
Creating and holding inclusive space for others.
Explore the leader as a coach.
Understand how to cultivate nurturing and inclusive spaces for collaboration.
Apply deeper communication skills to listen, inquire, understand needs and face difficult conversations with compassion.
Apply coaching skills to understand and guide others.
Learn to give and receive feedback with clarity and grace.
Appreciate and work with neurodiversity.
Understand what inclusive leadership looks like.
Create your own authentic leadership principles.
Facilitating journeys that inspire and empower change
Explore the leader as a facilitator.
Design and facilitate effective and inclusive processes, meetings, workshops and learning journeys.
Build your presence as a facilitator and leader.
Apply resources and tools to hold supportive and collaborative spaces.
Integrate storytelling to engage collaborators.
Explore different system change and transformation frameworks.
Access to a custom built facilitation toolkit.
Integrate your learnings into a purpose project.
Applications are now open for our 2026 cohort, starting late April. Would you like to join us?
The People
Program Leader
Michelle Grant - Founder, The Great Full
Michelle Grant is your program facilitator. She is the Founder of The Great Full and a certified leadership and enneagram coach and meditation and yoga teacher. Michelle combines this experience with over two decades working in leadership roles in food systems and sustainability to offer leadership and development support tailored to women aspiring to lead sustainable change. She is passionate about exploring how personal transformation intersects with the systems transformation we want to see. If you like to see the paperwork, you can read more about Michelle’s credentials in the FAQ section!
Fellow Participants
Your amazing support and learning network
You will join an inspiring group of women with a shared passion for leading sustainable change in a way that is fulfilling and impactful. This community will be a source of support, shared experience and learning for you both during and after the program. The number of participants is strictly limited to ensure easy and regular exchange on a personal level. This is not anything like doing a self-paced online course, you will feel part of a collective learning journey. The program is delivered on a custom built, private community platform where you can easily interact and share with each other in a private space.
Guest Contributors
Various experts to give fresh insights and perspectives
A number of guest experts join the program to provide fresh insights and learnings. We have guest lecturers on human development, neurodiversity, creating cultures of belonging, embodied presence and intercultural competence. Additionally, we include some Leader Fireside Chats with inspiring women leaders where you can ask questions and get insights in a live session together.
If you are ready to join us, click below to fill out the short application form!
(Applications are now closed. Jump on the waitlist to be informed when the next round opens!)
The Extras
We have a few special bonuses for you as a part of the program:
Professional Enneagram Typing
The Enneagram is a powerful tool for deep personal transformation, helping you to understand your deeper drivers and motivators and how they show up in your work and life. As a participant in the program you will receive a fully personalised professional Enneagram report from iEQ9, the leading enneagram assessment platform. You will go through an extensive debrief with the report to integrate the deep insights it provides into your life and work as a foundation for how you lead change. This process is usually only accessible through expensive 1:1 enneagram coaching programs.
Facilitator Toolkit
Throughout the entire journey we will engage with a range of mental, emotional, somatic, and relational models and practices. Experiencing these first hand will help you build your toolkit to use with yourself and with those you collaborate with. You will also receive access to a purpose built digital toolkit with these methods so that you can easily use them in your own work. The tools you will use are drawn from professional coaching and facilitation, the enneagram, systems leadership, design thinking, liberating structures, art of hosting, mindfulness, embodiment practices and experience and learning design.
Hybrid Workshops
We will have two optional half-day workshops (one hybrid, one in person) during the program to deepen the work together and to allow those living locally to meet in person.
Here’s what past participants have to say about
Lead the Change!
“I really appreciated the programme, its literally been life-changing! It gave me a clearer understanding of my north star purpose and work in life. I found the whole approach useful, impactful and enjoyable and I especially appreciated the first modules to help reflect and recalibrate my own understanding of self before stepping into the other modules that focused on working with others and with change.”
“The program was a great reflection point in my life. It has increased my capacity to deal with change and brought lightness to my interactions with others. I feel much more connected to my strengths and at ease with who I am. I highly recommend this program to anyone who cares about their purpose in life. It is a unique opportunity! ”
“Lead the Change was transformation from the beginning to the end. I felt this enormous care from Michelle as a facilitator to create a safe space among intelligent and powerful women, who in a very short time were able to support and challenge each other and really grow together. It almost felt like magic what happened during the program. The self-reflection, theory and hands on learning meant I didn’t just gain insights but I also got applicable tools for hands on and real-world leadership. I really appreciated that the course accommodated many forms of learning. This meant that although we all had busy lives with many responsibilities, it all felt manageable to combine with the course. I felt almost sad almost to leave the cohort at the end, but I also really felt empowered. I carried with me a deep sense of belonging to a wider community and also feel ready to create my own communities from this sense of strength within. It was super powerful program and I really hope more people can experience this.”
“The Lead the Change program had a big impact on me. It brought me closer to my essence, made me understand myself, my drivers and my actions better and led me on a path of growth. It made curious to dive deeper, to learn more and grow more. The content is extremely valuable and well structured and you feel Michelle‘s passion behind everything. And of course the community - I met so many inspiring and like-minded women.”
“Lead the Change was one of the best programs I’ve ever taken part in. The courses were so well thought out, and the content platform is a goldmine—I still go back to it! But what really made it special was the community. Being surrounded by such inspiring, like-minded women created a truly safe space to learn, challenge myself, and test new approaches without fear. It gave me the confidence and tools to grow in ways I didn’t expect. If you’re looking for a leadership program that is both deeply personal and incredibly practical, I can’t recommend it enough!”
The Details
It is my intention that you leave this program with a deeper understanding and trust in yourself and with the motivation, network and tools you need to facilitate change for yourself and others.
Format
The program will be run online with content inputs delivered on a collaborative platform to do when best suits your schedule. Every two weeks we have a live integration call where we focus on practicing some of the topics and answering questions that are coming up in peer to peer coaching formats. In between the calls we will have live, personal coaching sessions where you can bring along insights, questions or get feedback on your own projects. You can expect to spend about 2 hours per week to go through the content, and an additional 2 hours every second week for the calls.
Eligibility
Participation is open to anyone identifying as a women who resonates with the purpose and works, or plans to work, in food systems, regeneration or sustainability related fields. To join, we ask that you have already engaged with some foundational personal development and leadership work, or joined the Be the Change program.
Dates
The program runs for 6 months, with a 4 week pause in the middle for the northern hemisphere summer. The 2026 cohort will start on 29 April 2026, with a break from mid-July to mid-August, and will finish on 18 November 2026. The calls are run every second WEDNESDAY evening from 18 - 20h CEST/CET.
Participation Fee
The participation fee for the program is as follows:
Early Bird Rate 2’400 CHF (For applications received before 27 March 26)
Standard Rate 2’580 CHF
For current TGF Community Members or BTC Alumni we offer a special rate of 2’160 CHF (for Early Bird applications received before 27 March 26) or 2’400 CHF (Standard Rate).
Payment is possible in full or in monthly credit card instalments.
Many past participants have received partial or full support for the program fee from their employers, so we recommend exploring this option. A limited number of partial scholarships are also available. If you would like to apply for one, you can indicate this in the application form.
Application Process
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the program is full. We recommend applying early to secure your place. Application is via a short application form, where we will ask you to share a few sentences about your background and motivation to join the program. It shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes to complete. Follow the link below to find the form.
FAQ’S
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Be the Change is about establishing the foundations to lead sustainable change. Lead the Change is about giving you the tools and confidence to work with others to actually facilitate change, co-creation and collaboration in inclusive and effective ways. In Lead the Change we help you understand yourself at an even deeper level, and uncover how this influences how you interact with and lead others. We will deepen this by helping you build skills to gather and guide others towards a collective impact. There is no direct repetition of content from Be The Change in this program, however some of the topics covered are similar, we just go deeper.
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It is not a requirement to complete Be the Change in order to join Lead the Change. If you have not done Be The Change, we do ask that you have done some of your own personal and leadership development work and have a stable foundation to engage with this program from. We will also offer an additional onboarding step if you haven’t done Be the Change to help you familiarise yourself with the platform and approach. If you are interested but not sure if the program is for you please contact us to arrange a call!
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The program is designed so that you can work through the material in approximately 2 hours per week. The calls are then on top of this. There will be a 2 hour group integration call every two weeks and in between an optional 1 hour group coaching call where you can bring along your own topics or projects to get input or feedback from the group. We understand that you are a busy professional and design the course so you can integrate it with your work and life.
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Yes! Every 3-4 weeks there will be a content pause to let you digest and catch up. We will also take a break for 4 weeks for the northern hemisphere summer. This means the program is effectively broken into two 3 month blocks.
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An important part of this training is giving you the chance to put skills into practice and get feedback and input from the group. We will explore all topics and skills at two levels - firstly working with ourselves, then practicing working with others. You will also be guided to set up your own purpose project, or bring along one you are already working on, that you want to develop or build on during the program. For example, you might want to set up a leadership network in your organization, kickstart your own project with a team, or facilitate a strategic change process - the options are up to you!
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The material will be delivered on a collaborative online learning platform. It will vary each week, depending on the topic and the best way to help you as a learner engage with that particular material. This means you may receive videos, audio, things to read, reflection activities, exercises, challenges etc. There is always a mix between inputs and theory to help you structure the topic but the emphasis is on how you integrate that and put it into practice with yourselves and others.
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Sure thing! I have worked for over 20 years in various leadership roles in sustainable development and food systems. Currently, I am the Founder of The Great Full and Co-Founder of the FoodHaus Fellowship for Action. Prior to these roles, I was the Founding Executive Director of the World Food System Center at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich). A red thread through the course of my work has been a focus on education and training, and how that can help build the capacity of the current - and next - generation of leaders to tackle these complex challenges we are facing.
My education was originally in Environmental Engineering, and my graduate studies in Management, Technology and Economics with an emphasis on sustainable development. I complemented this with trainings in integral coaching (I am a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation), trainings in the enneagram and advanced trainings in meditation, vinyasa yoga, yin yoga, and qi gong.
I love to work at the interface of personal transformation and systems transformation, helping people engage with the inner work needed to create outer change. I do this through a combination of theory and practice, science and philosophy, and with a lens for how we need to engage the head, heart and hands in our learning journeys. I truly believe that we each have a unique role to play in creating change, and that we do that in a way that is personally fulfilling, sustainable and - dare I say, joyful :) - when we have the right guide, support and tools on our journey.
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In case you want to see the details, here are my qualifications:
Bachelor and 1st Class Honours in Engineering (University of Queensland)
Masters in Management, Technology and Economics (ETH Zurich)
Professional Coaching Certificate (1.5 year training program (ACC + PCC) at the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business Center for Coaching), Certified as a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation
Faculty coach and mentor in the University of Cape Town Coaching for Development program
Yoga Alliance Certified Advanced Yoga and Meditation Teacher Training (Over 750 hours of training and 12 years of teaching practice in vinyasa flow, yin yoga and meditation)
Recipient of the 2017 University of Queensland Distinguished Young Alumni Award, the 2019 Advance Australia Award (Food and Agriculture) and Finalist in the ETH Zurich Art of Leadership Award.
You can find out more about my roles and experience on LinkedIn.
Some of the LTC participants in the 2024 Leadership Embodiment Workshop
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The program is hosted on a purpose built, private, community platform. This means all the course material and interactions with your fellow participants happens in the same place to make your life as stress-free as possible. You will be able to follow the course material independently in your own time, and communicate and interact with the other participants in the same place. You will then have the chance to come together as a group in the live, bi- weekly integration calls and coaching calls. You will also be connected with a buddy at the start of the program who you can work with however you need to so that you support one another on the learning journey. We also have two hybrid workshops, which allow those based in proximity to Zurich to meet in person and connect with the other participants online.
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YES! Community members and Be the Change graduates are offered a discounted fee of 2’400 CHF (instead of 2’600 CHF) for the course.
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This program is designed for professionals who are already working in the fields of sustainability or food systems. If you are studying but combine that with work in these fields, or have worked and now returned to study, feel free to get in touch to discuss further if the program is a fit.
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Yes, absolutely! In fact, we really encourage that you reach out to your employer to get support - in terms of financial or working time - to join this program. The skills you will build will have a direct relevance and application in your workplace. We can provide you with a letter and slide deck to help your pitch! In the past, the majority of participants have been able to receive partial or full support from their employer to join the program.
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Yes! Once you complete all the necessary modules and activities, you will receive a certificate of completion. The certificate states that you have successfully completed the program Lead the Change - Advanced Leadership and Facilitation Skills for Sustainable Change. You will also be able to add the program to your LinkedIn profile.
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The calls are scheduled for 6-8pm CET every second Wednesday. This may shift depending on the timezones participants are based in. All calls are recorded and can be watched if you miss them. In the week between these bi-weekly integration calls we have an optional coaching call where you can come to get 1:1 support.
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Absolutely! We have had participants in the past join with team members and found it a very enriching experience. It allows you to go through the material together and have support to start implementing it in your workplace.
Here’s what past participants have to say about
Lead the Change!
“This program has been nothing short of life changing. Not only have I felt a huge internal transformation (more confidence, more assurance, more calm), the people closest to me have noticed this transformation in me as well. I cannot stress how much joy and wisdom I have derived from the community Michelle created and the content she shared.”
“This is the only program I’ve seen that might holistically shift us to be able to really create change. I feel empowered and enabled, and I feel optimistic and motivated! Every time I dive into the exercises I instantly feel calmer, reassured and more confident. There is so much important matter here and this course makes me take time to think about and integrate it. It also really helps to go through this with an amazing group. The other participants are so inspiring - I look forward to every single call and always feel uplifted and motivated afterwards!”
“The course is truly a gem and very unique. It’s fantastic what you have created, both in terms of the program and the community! It is already really supporting me in my work and personal life. I also feel it comes at the right time for me, although I wish that I had taken it 10-15 years ago!”
“I just would like to really thank you for the tremendous support over this program, for all the wonderful content, practices, the community and being the example of a woman leader so enjoyable to follow and learn from!”
Want to hear more from past participants?
“This is the only program I've seen that might holistically shift us to be able to really create change. I feel empowered and enabled, and I feel optimistic and motivated!”
Check out the podcast episode with former Lead the Change participants to hear more about:
How Lead the Change is designed to help you feel calm, confident and connected as you make a positive impact through your work;
What we cover in the 3 modules: Leading Yourself, Leading Others, and Leading Change;
What participants had to had to say at the end of the program about: how their perspective on leadership changed; their biggest take aways and shifts; the structure and flow of the program; and how it was to learn in a community of inspiring women from around the world!
Join the Lead the Change journey!
We limit the program to 20 women because we want you to have a personal and interactive learning experience! If you are ready to join us, just fill out the form below and we will get back to you. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to Michelle at: michelle@thegreatfull.com
