How do you remain true to your values when it truly matters? This final session helps you build the courage and resilience to stay on track, even in challenging circumstances.
What to expect?
In this final module, we focus on ACTING: translating your values and insights into courageous, thoughtful action. What helps you move forward and stay the course, even in the face of resistance or uncertainty?
We take the time to reflect on your next step, personally and within your organisation, and bring the journey to a shared close.
In this session, participants will:
explore what is holding them back from taking action and how they can break through those barriers;
translate their personal motivation and values into concrete, courageous steps;
learn how to navigate resistance and uncertainty without losing their sense of direction;
experience the power of small actions with great meaning, aligned with their intention.
Who is this for?
This session is exclusively available to participants of the full programme Developing Your Inner Skills: a learning network by The Shift, in collaboration with Innerpreneurs.
Speakers
Expert at Entrepreneuriat & Transition
Expert at Entrepreneuriat & Transition
Our partners
Curious about more?
Discover our other communities of practice:
Work alongside other CEOs and experts to explore the mission, structure and governance of your organisation, guided by the Doughnut Design for Business model. You become part of a community of like-minded leaders who, just like you, are committed to building a future-proof business model and creating meaningful change.
Sustainability challenges require more than technical solutions or systemic interventions alone. They also touch on how we perceive, decide, collaborate and act as human beings. To lead with impact in today’s complex world, we need not only external tools, but also strong inner skills.
What to expect?
Sustainable leadership depends on strong collaboration. The Collaborating dimension of the Inner Development Goals strengthens co-creation, trust and collective impact.
In this session, participants will:
Learn what it truly means to collaborate from a place of equality and trust;
Gain insight into group dynamics, shared leadership and co-creation processes;
Explore tools to organise collaboration in a regenerative way;
Reflect on their own role in collective decision-making and impactful collaboration.
The programme
In this session, we explore COLLABORATING: the art of co-creation, shared leadership and collective intelligence. What does it take to truly work together across departments, sectors or interests? You will reflect on your own collaboration style and discover how to shape collaboration in a more sustainable and equitable way.
Speakers
Who is this for?
This session is exclusively for participants in the full Developing your Inner Skills programme, a learning network by The Shift, in collaboration with Innerpreneurs.
In collaboration with
How do you develop the thinking skills needed for sustainable leadership? In the third session of the community of practice Developing your Inner Skills, participants will discover how to recognize thinking patterns, look at complex issues differently and make better decisions with an open mindset.
What to expect?
At a time when information is abundant and opinions quickly clash, sustainable leadership requires clear thinking and the ability to keep seeing the whole picture. This third session of the community of practice Developing your Inner Skills therefore focuses on the THINKING dimension.
Participants in this session:
map their thinking patterns and learn to deal with complexity and uncertainty,
practice skills such as critical thinking, perspective switching and systems thinking,
discover how open and constructive thinking contributes to innovation and long-term vision,
are inspired by insights from others about how thinking leads to change.
Speakers
Co-founder of Momentum Facilitation
Who is this for?
This session is part of Developing your Inner Skills, a community of practice around the Inner Development Goals (IDGs), and is open only to participants in the full learning track.
Curious to learn more?
Our partners
Ready for more?
How do you stay grounded in times of uncertainty? During this second session of the Developing your Inner Skills community of practice, you will explore how self-awareness, presence and inner clarity form the basis for authentic leadership.
Inclusive organisations don’t just welcome diversity, they make it their strength. During this online info session, you’ll discover how our new community of practice ‘Embedding Inclusion in Talent Strategy’ will set you on the right course.
The 4th national roundtable of LIFE BE FREE is an unmissable opportunity to find out how smart financing and collaboration can speed up large-scale energy renovations across Belgium. We’re bringing together pioneers and innovators with one common goal: to inspire with practical financing solutions and create space for new partnerships.
How do you stay grounded in times of uncertainty? During this second session of the Developing your Inner Skills community of practice, you will explore how self-awareness, presence and inner clarity form the basis for authentic leadership.
What to expect?
In a complex world full of change, inner stability is an important condition for sustainable leadership. Calmer leaders who act on their values inspire greater confidence, both in their teams and in their own decision-making. The Being dimension within the Inner Development Goals helps you strengthen that inner solidity.
Participants in this session will:
deepen their understanding of how self-awareness, inner peace and personal values are the foundation for sustainable leadership,
learn to deal with stress, pressure and complexity by staying present in the moment,
reflect on their own compass and discover how it guides professional choices,
experience how rest and slowing down create space for more impactful action.
Programme
| 13:30 | Brief check-in |
| 13:45 | Introduction to the Being dimension - Bart Weetjens, Innerpreneurs |
| 14:30 | Reflection and sharing: your inner compass in action |
| 15:30 | Moment of experience: practising presence and attention |
| 16:15 | A final moment of reflection & outlook |
Speakers
Founder of Innerpreneurs and facilitator of leaders and teams in inner development and mindful leadership.
Who is this for?
This session is part of Developing your Inner Skills, a community of practice centred around the Inner Development Goals (IDGs), and is open only to participants signed up to the whole programme.
Want to learn more?
Our partners
Ready for more?
Inclusive organisations don’t just welcome diversity, they make it their strength. During this online info session, you’ll discover how our new community of practice ‘Embedding Inclusion in Talent Strategy’ will set you on the right course.
In this session at the SDG Forum 2025, find out how organisations that put inclusion at the heart of their strategy evolve into resilient, innovative and engaging workplaces where top talent can truly thrive.
Can social loans accelerate energy-efficient renovations in Belgium? This final session on inclusive energy renovations gives you the chance to learn from experts, explore barriers and contribute to building sustainable housing solutions.
Canopea, an independent and pluralist federation founded in 1974, unites 130 associations active from local to international level. Its work spans spatial planning and agriculture to mobility, energy, environmental health, food and tourism. Known for its educational work, it monitors public policies critically and offers solutions to accelerate the ecological and solidarity transition.
How do you grow as a leader in a world full of complexity? In this first session of the learning journey on the Inner Development Goals, you will explore this science-based framework that supports the development of inner skills for sustainable change.
What to expect?
Find out what the Inner Development Goals are, why they matter and how they complement the Sustainable Development Goals.
Explore how inner capacities such as self-awareness, openness and courage contribute to systemic change.
Reflect on your personal and professional challenges in a safe, inspiring environment.
Connect with peers who, like you, believe that the inner journey is the key to creating lasting impact.
Who is this for?
This session is part of “Developing your Inner Skills,” a community of practice around the Inner Development Goals (IDGs), and is open only to participants of the full learning track.
Curious to learn more?
In cooperation with
Ready for more?
Sustainability challenges are not just technical or systemic – they are deeply human. To lead with meaning in a complex world, we need inner growth. With this community of practice, you’ll gain the tools, techniques and network to strengthen your inner power to make a difference.
What if the green transition starts with leadership from within? The House of Sustainable Transitions connects personal growth and systemic change.
Immerse yourself in the IDG Summit’s Business Deep Dive. Together, we’ll explore how inner growth prepares leaders for real systems impact.
Impact starts from within. Caroline Limbosch, CFO at Impact Finance, explains how inner growth, courage and connection are crucial to moving from conversation to action.
From financial expert to sustainability advocate, Caroline Limbosch embodies the shift from traditional business to values-driven impact. After years in mergers and acquisitions, she consciously chose a career with more meaning, purpose and the potential for systemic change. Today, she is CFO of Impact Capital – Pete Colruyt’s holding company – and supports companies, initiatives and funds with a strong social or ecological mission.
“At some point you have to go from talking to acting. You can prepare and mobilise people, but if no one does anything, nothing will change.”
In November 2024, Caroline joined The Inner Shift, The Shift’s community of practice centred around the Inner Development Goals (IDGs), with one clear intention: to discover how inner work enhances external difference. In this interview, she talks about how this track helped her get back to what really matters – and why courage and reflection should always go together.
Until a few years ago, I was fully immersed in the typical tenets of finance – mergers and acquisitions, banking, strategy. Fascinating, but it no longer matched my values. Then I discovered the world of sustainability and impact. I realised that so many technological and innovative solutions already exist – many more than I had thought. But what is often missing to really scale up those solutions is the human aspect: connection and meaningfulness. That’s why the IDGs speak so strongly to me. Behind every policy or voice is a human being. And we need to appeal not only to their heads, but also to their hearts.
Out of sheer curiosity. I had already thought a lot about the big global challenges. Now I also wanted to explore the inside: how IDGs apply in my own context. Not to change my organisation, but to build bridges in my network and the conversations I was having. At Impact Capital, we already share many of those values. This was an opportunity to go even further and meet others on that same path.
The theme of “Acting” touched me deeply, but it all starts with “Being.” That is the foundation. We need to take time to stop and reflect: who am I, what is really important? I often wonder if my work makes enough impact. It takes courage to keep asking that question. And at some point, reflection must turn into action.
Yes, a role-play. One participant played a sustainability manager of a large, controversial company. Another participant challenged that image, which led to an emotional response. She was upset, because within her actual organisation she saw so much genuine commitment. That moment felt very real. Not naïve, but authentic. It reminded me how important it is to continue to see the human story behind every example. And it confirmed what I had long felt: that many sustainability managers in companies are truly committed – sometimes even more so than their organisation itself.
The connections. Meeting people from completely different backgrounds, and finding that we all have the same kinds of questions – that’s a powerful feeling. I’m letting the insights sink in for now. I don’t work in a big company with a programme to roll out, but I know I can incorporate these ideas into my own practice and conversations.
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What if the green transition starts with leadership from within? The House of Sustainable Transitions connects personal growth and systemic change.
Igor Vervoort is a thought leader within the sustainability movement and coordinator of the House of Sustainable Transitions (HOST), a research platform at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). The organisation brings together researchers to discuss sustainability issues, with a particular focus on the role of inner change in transition processes. Igor participated in The Inner Shift, our community of practice anchored in the Inner Development Goals (IDGs).
“You often hear about the Sustainable Development Goals or systems change. But it also takes inner work – and the IDGs provide a powerful framework to explore that.”
At our university, Professor Cathy Macharis – co-founder of HOST – had already introduced the Inner Development Goals in her sustainability courses. HOST has always started from a systemic perspective, and from there my interest in the inner dimension also grew. So I already knew a little about the IDGs, but had not really explored them in depth. When I saw The Inner Shift programme, it felt like the right time to dive in, experience, reflect and gain insights that could enrich our work at HOST. And the prospect of doing this with other committed members of The Shift made it all the more appealing.
The first session, around Being, was particularly powerful. It was about grounding yourself – who you are, how you are in the world. This is very relevant both personally and professionally. But the session on Collaborating also struck a chord with me. Collaborating is in the DNA of HOST. It was enriching not only to discuss the theory, but also to do exercises together that revealed the practical application that was there too.
I was positively surprised by how much care went into the group counselling. Each session began with an opening moment, a short meditation or reflection. That alone was an application of the IDGs. It created space – and that space really made a difference.
Honestly, the whole framework. Each of the five IDG dimensions – Being, Thinking, Relating, Collaborating, Acting – can contribute to how we work, grow and what we can do as an organisation. I see a lot of potential to make even more room for this within our research community at the VUB, especially for young researchers and students. It’s a valuable lens.
And I am also proud to say that in the time since, we have officially become an IDG Hub with HOST – now the IDG Brussels House of Sustainable Transitions Hub. Our goal is to put the IDG framework into practice. We have already started doing that through an IDG Lab on co-creation, connection and transformation, as well as a workshop on climate constellations for the sustainable transition. And that’s just the beginning – there are more activities and learning pathways to come.
More impact stories
Impact starts from within. Caroline Limbosch, CFO at Impact Finance, explains how inner growth, courage and connection are crucial to moving from conversation to action.
In a world colored by urgency and systemic crises, Zen monk Bart Weetjens argues for leadership that starts with yourself. No quick fixes, but deep transformation.
Luc De Jaeger (Funds For Good) and Peter Depauw (Steward-owned) show how new ownership models link financial profit to social impact.
At The System Shift, we believe that meaningful change starts from within, and grows through shared learning. Want to delve deeper into what makes you a resilient advocate for sustainability, within your organisation and beyond?
In a world colored by urgency and systemic crises, Zen monk Bart Weetjens argues for leadership that starts with yourself. No quick fixes, but deep transformation.
Bart Weetjens is a Zen monk, social entrepreneur and co-founder of Innerpreneurs – our partner for The Inner Shift learning network. He is known for his warm advocacy of leadership rooted in awareness, vulnerability and connection to people and planet.
The IDGs came my way through my ongoing quest for self-leadership and spiritual practice. After a near-burnout, I realized the importance of inner transformation in any form of social entrepreneurship. During the COVID period, I met Vincent De Coninck, and together we explored ways to promote regenerative self-leadership for entrepreneurs. The IDGs proved to be a powerful framework that provides language and structure for understanding our inner capacities and enabling new approaches for personal and collective growth.
I began the first session with a deep sense of gratitude; for the opportunity to create a space in which authentic conversations could take place and for the courage of the participants to engage in this. I felt immense appreciation for the collaboration with The Shift and the strong turnout, which highlighted the importance of this work. My intention was to cultivate an environment where leaders can be vulnerable, connect deeply and ignite an inner spark that fuels transformative actions in their lives and organizations.
Each session begins with rituals to create a safe learning environment. We start with a check-in, lighting a candle and building a circle of trust. Each session focuses on a specific dimension of the IDGs, exploring related skills through meditation, inspiring personal stories and shared reflection. Participants work in small breakout groups with reflective questions to explore deep insights. We then return to the larger group to share collective insights, creating a dynamic environment of mutual learning and personal growth.
As Rumi aptly said, “I used to be smart and try to change the world. Now I am wise and changing myself. ” In our pursuit of sustainability, we have often looked outward, at systemic injustices. But true transformation begins within. The Chinese characters for crisis contain both “danger” and “opportunity. Through inner development, we can move ourselves from overwhelm to empowerment. The IDGs provide a structured approach to cultivating presence, emotional resilience and connection – essential for navigating today’s complexity. Inner growth empowers leaders, enabling them to make meaningful and lasting systemic change.
I left the session with joy and hope. It was inspiring to see the courage of participants to explore their inner world, really listen and create space for genuine connection. I was encouraged by the community’s willingness to explore these inner dimensions, which are essential for fostering resilience and optimism. It gave me hope for what can be achieved when individuals commit to both personal and systemic transformation.
Thank you, Bart, for sharing your experience with us.
More impact stories
What if the green transition starts with leadership from within? The House of Sustainable Transitions connects personal growth and systemic change.
Luc De Jaeger (Funds For Good) and Peter Depauw (Steward-owned) show how new ownership models link financial profit to social impact.
Impact starts from within. Caroline Limbosch, CFO at Impact Finance, explains how inner growth, courage and connection are crucial to moving from conversation to action.
At The System Shift, we believe that meaningful change starts from within, and grows through shared learning. Want to delve deeper into what makes you a resilient advocate for sustainability, within your organization and beyond?
WellBeing Seeders brengt welzijnsexperts samen om welzijn op de werkvloer duurzaam en multidisciplinair te verbeteren als onderdeel van een systeemtransitie. Onze missie is bedrijven effectiever te maken door de positieve en bevlogen bijdrage van hun medewerkers.
