Learning Trek SHIFT

The self-leadership program for personal growth

Are you ready to shift your mental positions and find your purpose?

Arrow shiftschool

This self-leadership program is about intentionally working on your way of thinking. And on how to reflect your feelings and on the actions towards your objectives as a leader. It is also about empowering yourself to take the right decisions in times of great uncertainty – with a combination of perseverance and passion.

The SHIFT® program consists of a 4 day immersive retreat, a 50 day self-learning journey, a mastermind program, three remote coaching sessions, and final reflection workshop.

It is designed to inspire you to create and sustain a purpose driven leadership style. You will be trained and challenged to understand, contextualize and navigate uncertainty. The goal is to develop your attitude for Century 21. The SHIFT® program empowers you to lead yourself and others in this rapidly changing world. Find your purpose in order to lead by example!

Program quick facts

1

immersive
retreat
days

1

moderated
coaching
sessions

1

days
mastermind
journey

1

self-
development
units

immersive learning in nature
2 hours required per week
german or english masterminds
individual mentoring
mindfulness program
accountability supervision
Graduation Certificate
€ 6,900 FOR COMPANIES / € 5,500 FOR INDIVIDUALS & NGOS (EXCL. VAT)

What graduates say about SHIFT

When I met Tina and Tobias in 2015, I already knew that both of them would revolutionize the world of learning. Digital transformation – what exactly is it?

I don’t think I know until today – but I’m in the middle of it, as an entrepreneur, CEO and founder of .PERFEKTORY. and THE GOOD FOX COMPANY, which runs QUARTIER – the place to be together in downtown Nuremberg. I can definitely say that the SHAPE Transformative Leadership Program and the SHIFT Self-Leadership Program have changed my world and allowed me to see the world with different eyes. I also believe in even crazier projects now than I previously ever thought possible.

The SHIFT program, which started in the Bavarian Forest, was an adventure and a special learning journey for me all at the same time. I not only got to know my limits – but also exceeded them and got a framework to work on myself every day, to question myself and to develop myself further.

I have met great people who inspire and support me every day – both in my professional life and as friends. And as I have learned from one of our SHIFT trainers, Alexandra Götze: ‘Everything is personal’.

I am already looking forward to what is still to come with and from SHIFTSCHOOL. THANK YOU ❤️

Gina Marie Diller
Gina Marie Diller
Entrepreneur, CEO & Founder
.PERFEKTORY. & THE GOOD FOX COMPANY

A few days together with Gina, Caro, Rica-Salome, Navid, Markus, Wolfgang, Tuan, Hannes and our trainers Tobias, Tina, and Richard?

Count me in.

A few weeks to work on self-leadership, my personal mindset, and the opportunity to think outside the box? To get out of my comfort zone once again? To reflect on my feelings and actions in light of my goals as a leader and as an individual?

Hell, yes, count me in.

Correct. I recently completed the SHIFT program at SHIFTSCHOOL and I am absolutely thrilled!

Working with other participants from different industries was incredibly valuable. The ability to connect on even the most emotional topics was overwhelming. We were able to learn from each other, support each other and work together. Even after the program ended.

Through the program’s hands-on approach, I not only expanded my knowledge, but also strengthened my skills. Kudos to everyone and especially to my wife Alex for pushing me to just do it.

Rafael Alex
Senior Business Analyst
adorsys Gmbh & Co. KG

How is the program structured?

Our hybrid program starts off with an immersive retreat with an intensive self-leadership training.

This includes personal reflection in nature, mindful interludes, and in-depth sparring sessions with experienced leadership coaches.

After that, mastermind groups are built and you launch off in a self-learning routine for 7 consecutive weeks.

During this time, we will work on the 5 dimensions of the SHIFT® Framework every single day.

In this period we also meet three times for online inspiration and peer coaching sessions moderated by our coaches. At the end of this journey you will reflect on your attitude change in an intensive live workshop event in our STUDIO 21 with all your peers.

SHIFT Program

Upcoming program

starts in spring 2025

Bilingual cohort

(English/German)

Retreat

Bavarian Forest

SHIFTSCAPE // Immersive retreat weekend

SHIFTPATH // 50 days self-learning journey with weekly remote mastermind sessions

SHIFTZEN // 3 Remote Inspiration and Peer Coaching Sessions

SHIFTABLE // Live Reflection Workshop in Studio 21 in Fürth

Learning journey in detail

Welcome to the SHIFT® experience! A hybrid self-leadership program, nothing you have seen before. Truth is that self-help books won’t do the job, personal coaching is not for everyone, and dog-eat-dog career acceleration or ego-boosting human potentiality chaka are definitely not what we need to thrive in Century 21. So how can you find your purpose then?

By learning to become your own best coach. By learning to feed your own mind constantly. By understanding that goals are useless without working on the desired attitude. By learning to lead yourself in order to lead others. This program will show you how to develop a new attitude towards learning. It will question convictions about success and adapt a new state-of-mind to navigate change and create free space for you to get better over time.

// call to adventure
the iterative toolbox for transformation hero*ines

THURSDAY starting at 1 pm

We start our program in a remote and trusting environment that allows us to learn the essentials of modern self-leadership. Life is a repeating journey and each hero*ine will eventually struggle, hesitate, resist, and fail along the way – in order to later learn, grow and become even better after all.

>>WORKSHOP EMPHASIS:
Clarify the intentions in your life. It is not so much about goal setting but finding the right direction. Regard purpose as a process that allows you to find a sense of direction.

>> FIELD TRIP:
Prototyping the 21st century attitude in a design sprint

>> MIND ELEVATION:
Creating flow states and discovering your way into flow

>> TEAM ACTIVITY:
Potluck storytelling around the campfire

// crossing the threshold
the art of innovative confidence in an uncertain world

FRIDAY Day 2

Self-leadership is also about gaining the resilience and flexibility to adapt along the way. In order to do that, we need to continuously develop what we are good at. That means finding and building strengths without feeling entitled to anything. Then put our strengths to work.

>> WORKSHOP EMPHASIS:
Identify your distinctive strengths by building a strength-based leadership framework for yourself. Don’t settle with long held convictions but experiment with your talent. Step outside your comfort zone – into the wilderness.

>> FIELD TRIP:
Mastering the wild – survival training for Century 21

>> MIND ELEVATION:
Exploring a yoga practice for your constitution

>> TEAM ACTIVITY:
Alter Ego karaoke evening

// road of trails
the conscious practice of understanding who you are

SATURDAY Day 3

Know Thyself is probably the oldest advice in the book. But it has never been more urgent than in Century 21. In order to lead with purpose, we have no choice but to really get to know us better. Knowing who you are also means cultivating self-awareness of you as a whole human being with specific traits, values, and feelings.

>> WORKSHOP EMPHASIS:
Discover your vulnerabilities and develop a healthier and more honest connection with yourself and others. We love to talk about our sunny sides but there are aspects of you that you are not (yet) aware of. Becoming aware of the blindspots takes courage and so does asking for feedback from others.

>> FIELD TRIP:
Wanderence – a mindset unconference by foot out in nature

>> MIND ELEVATION:
Breathwork and mindset exercises to work with emotional states

>> TEAM ACTIVITY:
Farewell to Unfinished Business dinner

// daring to grow
the experimentation kit to generate purposeful self-improvement

SUNDAY ending at 5 pm

Self-leadership is not about boosting personal efficiency through self-confidence and new self-affirmative convictions. It is crucial to understand that the secret of winning lies in not trying too hard and learning how to focus on moments of impact. Shaping the right attitudes and then adapt your plans as you go leads to a sustainable transition towards a life of meaning and fulfillment.

>> WORKSHOP EMPHASIS:
Develop personal ownership. We can only grow if we take full responsibility for what we learn and how we make progress. Self-leadership works best when two things come together: Taking personal responsibility and holding those around us accountable for their actions, too.

>> FIELD TRIP:
Experimenting with self-inquiry and building a self-coaching practice

>> MIND ELEVATION:
Exploring a meditation practice that works for you

>> TEAM ACTIVITY:
Purpose-hangover prevention and Mastermind Wedding

// self learning journey

Modern self-leadership means that you must develop and effectively communicate a unique story that is not focussed only on career goals but includes all aspects of your life. This process involves transforming your thinking from a fixed into a growth oriented state of mind – as something that is not set but adaptable and flexible. This flexible mindset is best developed by questioning your own attitude towards change. The SHIFT® framework is a state-of-the art approach to self-leadership as a fundamental 21st century skill. It consists of five attitudes that you will be working on together with your mastermind and your coaches in the upcoming weeks.

PART 1:
SPIRITED

How can I become SELF-EFFECTIVE?

In this part you will be working on how to

take initiative and become resourceful
deal with fear and uncertainty
persevere and commit yourself to change

PART 2:
HOLISTIC

How can I become SELF-IMAGINATIVE?

In this part you will be working on how to

reflect on goals, purpose, and meaning
develop a holistic worldview
frame the right attitude towards a desired future

PART 3:
IDEATIVE

How can I become SELF-CONFIDENT?

In this part you will be working on how to

challenge convictions and ask the right questions
explore and discover what is possible
decide on which path to take

PART 4:
FLEXIBLE

How can I become SELF-REFLECTIVE?

In this part you will be working on how to

make sense of ambiguity and complexity
uncover biases and learning to become more self-honest
develop a mental model for change

PART 5:
TRUE

How can I become SELF-AWARE?

In this part you will be working on how to

embrace habitual improvement and life hacking
allow self compassion and Being Enough
show authentic empathy and gratefulness

// peer coaching and reflection

This remote peer coaching workshop is facilitated by our leadership coaching team and will help you to reflect on your individual learning experiences and on how they relate to your overall goal that you have set through a process of inquiry. Accountability is managed here as well. This 3-hour workshop consists of three parts:

SELF REFLECTION

Reflection of personal thinking patterns as an agile leader with written solo exercises to gain insights and practice to edge your comfort zone.

PEER REFLECTION

Peer coaching session in moderated break-out groups to reflect on self-organization in agile systems in the context of constantly changing conditions.

GROUP COACHING

Synchronous live coaching with spontaneous Q&A related to the experience in the previous parts. Submitted-in-advance issues can also be live coached in this format.

// reflection of changes and formulas for the future

The purpose of this final session is to consolidate all the learnings, to celebrate all the great work that you have achieved so far, and to create an outlook into the future – into a world of radical change, rising complexity, and paradigm shifts. It is our goal to use the spirit and momentum of this class to really push your transformation endeavors out there. Creating impact not concepts! For learning to stick over the long-term, you need time to apply the new methods and practice your new way of thinking on a regular basis. In this final workshop we will discuss how you can achieve sustainable success and continue to thrive in a network of like minded change-makers.

Who is this program for?

Today’s leaders can be divided into two categories: Those who think the world around them must change. And those who understand that they have to change themselves. This program is designed for the latter.

We believe that transformation is not about implementing new technologies but primarily about an open attitude towards change. In a world changing so rapidly, finding purpose is the essential foundation for every transformative leader. We are deeply convinced that people must acquire new attitudes to come up with new solutions to the unexpected problems that will undoubtedly determine our future way of doing business.

Executives from established SMBs wanting to drive the transformation of their organizations to make them 21st century proof

Business leaders from large corporations looking for new ways to change their organizations

Future-forward entrepreneurs and game-changers who look for a diverse network of like-minded peers seeking a new challenge to scale their impact

Creative business professionals and cultural change-makers with at least five years of work experience

What you will learn

Truth is there is no one-size-fits-all solution to personal transformation. Attitudes are and always will be a highly subjective matter.

That is why we have created a different concept that combines different didactic formats, philosophical approaches and the latest findings from neuroscience and psychology. The result is a hybrid recipe that combines three essential ingredients:

EXPERIENCE:

A mix of an intensive 4-day-retreat that will provide you with the necessary impulses and the emotional triggers that can lead to sustainable impact. Because talking alone won’t do the job.

REFLECTION:

A fifty-day self-reflection that keeps track of your experiences along the way, triggers new thoughts, and forms a new habit of daily reflection in your personal transformation.

COMMITMENT:

Forming lasting habits takes time. Keeping up with change is hard. And finding the courage to execute plans is even harder. That is why we do this in a group. Creating lasting bonds during the initial retreat helps to hold each other accountable in a MASTERMIND community.

By working with the SHIFT® Framework you will build the capacity to

design your personal development plan to individualise your learning path

dive deep into your unique leadership style

discover your strengths and areas for growth with the help of our SHIFTSCHOOL team and the SHIFTSCHOOL community

Shiftscape kick-off

Embrace change.
Think for yourself.
Transform the future.

The SHIFT® Leadership kick-off takes us right into nature. Experience a wonderful and intensive time together with your fellow change-makers. Learning is a social endeavor and bonding a group of excellent people in a combination of in- and outdoor workshops will lay the foundation of an unforgettable learning journey.

Education

Learn in an open workshop space with heart & soul! You find lots of free space to get clarity and new ideas. In an architecture that cleverly combines virtual, real, and natural areas. Our laboratory for inventing meaningful futures!

Education
Schnitzmühle - SHIFTSCHOOL

Exploration

Wander on mystical forest trails, canoe along the banks of the river or hike on scenic gravel paths through hilly landscapes. Our hikes and guided team activities not only create good group dynamics but are also the perfect occasion to come up with new transformative ideas. After an inspiring workshop day gather around a self-made campfire to explore your purpose, share your experiences, and learn from each other.

Accommodation

Spend your downtime in a stylish, single room „hideaway“, which architecturally covers all needs in a small space. Architecture and nature complement each other with larch wood floors, and high, light-filled rooms.

Accommodation
Alimentation

Alimentation

Enjoy plant-based, vegetarian, or vegan cuisine with local ingredients from the Bavarian Forest, spiced with exotic recipes, combined in a healthy and forward-looking way. Forest goes Fusion becomes Future – leaving a positive footprint through our culinary experiences.

Restoration

Reflect on the learnings in meditation and yoga sessions or just relax in flying gardens, bubble basins, in stone basket saunas or under soul sound showers. The somewhat different well-being experience. Century 21 style meets exceptional nature -with refreshing beach lounges in the summer and cozy indoor fireplaces in the winter.

Meet your leaders

How does the SHIFT® self-learning work?

Our 50 day self-learning program will help you to reflect on your learnings, implement new routines, and to keep track of your progress.

The program with 50 challenges offers you the opportunity to write, sketch, and reflect your thoughts. Question your beliefs and give shape to your thoughts!

Putting a thought on paper has a great effect. It allows you to see things from a different angle. The new perspective can help you to see things more clearly and detach from the unconscious thought patterns that are so deeply ingrained into your mind. They influence the way we think and act – much more than you would like to admit. Your mastermind and your virtual coaches will make sure that you do not run away when things get harder.

We will also hold you accountable. Because not doing your exercises means coming with empty hands to your mastermind meetups and letting your companions down.

YODA DARE

DARE
How can I take responsibility and hold myself accountable to pursue my goals?

YODA IMAGINE

IMAGINE
How can I detect trends, imagine possible future scenarios, and find meaning?

YODA DISCOVER

DISCOVER
How can I foster curiosity and design descriptive experiments to drive rapid learning?

YODA ADAPT

ADAPT
How do I constantly question existing beliefs, overcome cognitive biases and adapt my opinion?

YODA DO

DO
How do I gain a conscious awareness and credibility by expressing vulnerability and gratitude?

A change story from shiftschool

Silvia, Service Designer at Volkswagen, talks about her learning experience and how her attitude changed. She explains why the SHIFT to follow a growth path towards personal mastery and excellence is so important. Discover more change stories.

How much is the tuition?

The program costs 6,900 € for companies / 5,500 € for individuals & NGOs excluding VAT and covers the tuition, course materials as well as accommodation and food on workshop days.

It does not include travel expenses to the retreat location. VAT shall apply at rates according to national laws and regulations. Personal coaching packages upon request. Please note that training costs are usually tax deductible in many countries.

How does the application work?

We are looking for people who are leading initiatives, organizations or communities that are playing some part in forging a new “Story of Better”.

People who see the future as something we want to create together and not as something that we’d rather like to avoid. Each candidate must submit their purpose statement as their starting point for their SHIFT. Something they want to shift towards.

We are looking for lifelong learners

We reject fast food learning and passive content consumption as well as egoistic and inconsiderate behavior towards the group. Our leadership programs are designed as immersive learning experiences. We are looking for individuals who thrive in a community of like minded peers and share an authentic interest in getting to know other participants for who they are, and who they want to become.

We believe that learning is a social endeavor. It is our goal to build lasting relationships, not shallow encounters. Every cohort is formed as a unique community of highly skilled individuals who remain deeply connected and committed to each other and their shared experience.

Are you in? To start the application process, please fill in the application. Once submitted, you will receive an email containing a link to schedule an interview. The goal of the interview is to find out what motivates you to join the community. We will let you know within a week after your interview if you are accepted into the next SHIFT® journey.

What people say about SHIFTSCHOOL

The collaboration with SHIFTSCHOOL has been really great right from the start. SHIFTSCHOOL is a reliable partner who always supports me with new insights and constructive critical thinking. Companies that want to make a difference should first send selected employees to SHIFTSCHOOL. Especially large corporates should work with SHIFTSCHOOL, because their programs really breathe new life into established systems. This is necessary, today and in the future!

Kristina Muth
Kristina Muth
Head of Innovator Academy
Merck Innovation Center, Merck KGaA Darmstadt

What I really appreciate about working with SHIFTSCHOOL is the fact that I get so much inspiration and Best Practice that I can incorporate directly into my daily work. The large network of SHIFTSCHOOL is the big advantage. They collaborate with so many different companies and startups and, therefore, can offer a wide range of insights from many different industries.

Dr. Jürgen Zeiner
Dr. Jürgen Zeiner
Vice President Technical Functions
Robert Bosch GmbH

What distinguishes the SHIFTSCHOOL is that it truly encourages people to (re-) discover their creativity. Faber-Castell’s vision is to unleash the creative potential of our customers as well as our employees. Within our global network, we see the SHIFTSCHOOL as an important innovation coach. Faber-Castell’s Corporate Development team appreciates the comprehensive innovation methods and is grateful for the trusting relationship it has developed with the SHIFTSCHOOL team.

Countess Katharina von Faber-Castell
Countess Katharina von Faber-Castell
Head of Corporate Business Development
Faber-Castell AG

Learn more about self-leadership

This article explains the background about initiating and sustaining personal change. It explains the key essence of Self-Leadership and the 5 steps involved in setting up the right attitude towards purpose and growth.

FAQs

Traditional approaches to leadership and team development no longer meet the needs of neither organizations nor potential change makers. This is the key learning from our work with a vast number of companies and leaders. Change initiatives are often bound to fail. The SHIFTSHAPE Framework is our answer to the challenges this century poses on us. It is our goal to develop people instead of job profiles by designing customized learning experiences. We think school differently. For us, school is not a building but a community of like minded people who need a framework to develop themselves autonomously.

We do not rely on rigid curricula, but on a flexible framework of five core dimensions, which respond to your individual needs. We put together content like a curator in an exhibition. The focus is no longer on the mere transfer of information, but on the active teaching of skills and methods that allow you to keep pace with the dynamics of change. In addition, individual coaching enables you to develop further according to your own potential. We combine the teaching formats that make the most sense from a didactic point of view, thus combining the advantages of face-to-face workshops with the flexibility of live remote sessions and interactive simulations. This is what we call CURATED LEARNING.

We don’t teach theory, but knowledge that you can apply immediately. From day one, you learn through innovative simulations, apply proven methods, and transfer them to concrete challenges in your life. We are convinced that learning only becomes valuable through experience. Only when things are thought through, tried out and applied, does lasting knowledge emerge. All our programs offer the opportunity to work on what matters most to you: Your personal development plan or a Transformation Case for your organization. Create your own strategy, and experiment, create, and test your ideas in your job environment. This is what we call JOB READY LEARNING.

Classical training systems usually provide far too little feedback. Adults who want to develop their skills also deserve more respect than they get from multiple-choice tests. Strategic competencies, creative leadership and applied innovation cannot be poured into an assessment trimmed for efficiency. In SHIFTSCHOOL, the goal is not to simply pass a course, but to ensure that you have truly understood concepts and can apply them in a meaningful way. Continuous feedback and peer coaching sessions ensure that you can also expand your knowledge in a targeted manner and use it for the challenges in your job.

The SHIFT and SHAPE programs are designed for the busy, full-time professional. Introduction and team-building are gathered in a compact and intensive retreat at the beginning. All following remote sessions and workshops are scheduled as a CLUBNITE on a workday evening – at the same time each week. This makes it easy to plan and allocate time. The project work is particularly designed for self-paced, asynchronous learning – at the time that suits you best. An additional 2-3 hours per week for your personal project is a rule of thumb. 

More than 60% of SHIFTSCHOOL Alumni received full or partly reimbursement from their employer. We have put together some good arguments to make this process streamlined.

Our programs are designed to be as real-time and immediately relevant as possible. We encourage our participants to share our methods with your teammates and to apply them directly in your work environment. Your organization will directly profit on how you’ll learn strategies and state-of-the-art skills that can help you grow as a 21st century proof leader making an immediate impact.

You are not just joining a learning program but a selected network. You’ll learn with and from professionals at companies like Adidas, Siemens, Merck, Allianz along with transformation managers from SMEs and digital experts from startups or creative agencies. You are working within a community of highly motivated individuals ready to change their organization for good. This experience allows you to expand your network with a diverse set of people who are all striving to challenge the status quo for the better.

Each program culminates in a personal project that is designed for direct implementation on the job. Each participant can choose to focus on a transformational leadership project which can directly benefit the organization you are with.

To make life easier for you we have prepared a reimbursement template along with the key facts of this program. Adapt it according to your needs and send it to stakeholders and decision makers in your company. HERE

All participants who work through a program and submit their completed assignments are eligible for a SHIFTSCHOOL certificate which details the methods and frameworks learned and applied. However, a formal certificate is just a piece of paper that, in our opinion, does not really say what someone can do or has learned. Just as grades ultimately say little about whether content and methods have really been understood and can be applied in practice. Therefore, we additionally help each member to outline their core strengths, position themselves in their professional arena, and to develop their own personal brand over time.

To start the application process, please fill in the application form. Once submitted, you will receive an email containing a link to schedule an interview. The goal of the interview is to find out what motivates you to join the SHIFTSHAPE community. We will let you know within a week after your interview if you are accepted.

We believe in quality, in-depth learning. Science and our experiences from teaching thousands of workshops tell us that people learn best in a safe, social, and interactive learning environment. Massive open online courses might provide great specific content but are not suited to build 21st century leadership skills. Change begins at the end of your comfort zone and our cohort-based approach provides both the safety of a smaller group and the accountability of live sessions to make real transformation happen. This setting helps our members to focus on what’s important and getting learning done in a clearly structured framework.

Our maxim is a school where the content is a means to an end – teaching people to learn how to learn. The best way for an advanced learner to build up new knowledge is then not to have it served up by a teacher, but rather to discover it organically. Our role is serving as facilitators of discovery. In a fast-changing world, teaching facts is neither sustainable nor effective. Our main instructional duty is therefore to inspire you to develop a new attitude towards change, push you to experience transformation, and encourage you to apply new strategies to shape the world around us.