ReLEAD is a European online training programme that strengthens responsible leadership in businesses. It supports employees in developing civic awareness, resilience, and socially responsible decision-making skills that benefit both the workplace and society.

In short: responsible leadership is about being aware of your actions and how they affect others and the world around you. It’s about showing commitment, being proactive, and contributing to the well-being of both yourself and your community. For more information, please check out our video at: https://youtu.be/dqoKwCBCJ4k?si=RonWShD38KRp2ZgV.

Workplaces are key environments where adults spend much of their time and interact with diverse people. This makes them important spaces for developing civic skills such as dialogue, collaboration, and responsible decision-making. Strengthening these skills at work improves organisational culture and also enables individuals to engage more actively and responsibly in their communities.

Many organisations face challenges such as:

• Internal conflict and polarisation
• Sustainability pressure
• Unclear responsibility for societal challenges
• Employee disengagement

ReLEAD aims to strengthen responsible leadership by developing employees’:

• Civic awareness and decision-making capacity
• Communication and conflict competence
• Custainability and social impact literacy
• Resilience and wellbeing

By building these skills, ReLEAD helps companies increase their internal capacity to navigate complexity, uncertainty, and societal challenges constructively.

No. ReLEAD does not promote political parties or ideologies. It focuses on responsible leadership, dialogue, sustainability, and resilience within professional contexts.

ReLEAD stands out because it:

• Integrates civic skills, sustainability, communication, and resilience
• Combines reflection with practical tools
• Includes cross-company European exchange
• Is free of charge
• Encourages real-world application

It is not a one-off training, but a structured leadership journey that builds lasting skills and practical experience, unlike many short or single-focus programmes.

ReLEAD is a leadership development programme that centres on civic skills, helping employees make responsible decisions, collaborate effectively, and engage constructively with others. It also integrates three complementary areas:

• HR development → building leadership skills for individuals and teams
• CSR/ESG (corporate social responsibility / environmental, social, governance) → supporting responsible and sustainable decision-making
• Organisational culture → improving communication, collaboration, and engagement across teams

By combining civic skills with these areas, ReLEAD provides a structured learning journey that strengthens individual and organisational capacity, encourages responsible leadership, and supports real-world impact.

ReLEAD follows a three-level learning journey:

• Individual level:
  • Format: Two self-paced learning units (approx. 60 min each)
  • Learning outcome: Participants reflect on their own leadership role, responsibility, and sphere of influence.
• Organisational level:
  • Format: Two live (online) transnational workshops (90–120 minutes each)
  • Learning outcome: Participants exchange across companies and apply and further deepen their learning from the self-paced units.
• Community level:
  • Format: Participants design and optionally implement their own focused initiative
  • Learning outcome: Participants apply responsible leadership principles in practice and strengthen their confidence and capacity for civic engagement.

To explore the content further, view our introductory videos: https://youtu.be/3vo6iQjwKXQ?si=E_ZiqgHecdPPgKT4.

Everyone begins with the core module on “Civic skills – building aware and engaged leaders.” This module introduces civic skills and their importance for resilient leadership, guiding learners to understand, practise, and apply responsibility, dialogue, and participation in their leadership role and organisational culture.

After that, they choose one of three optional tracks to deepen their learning:

• Resilience and wellbeing – creating smarter, healthier, confident leaders.

This module supports participants in building personal resilience and translating it into responsible leadership by developing sustainable practices to manage stress and create a positive impact on teams, organisations, and the wider community.

• Communication in challenging times – helping people lead through complexity.

This module equips leaders to navigate conflict and communication challenges by intentionally transforming tension into dialogue and fostering trust and collaboration.

• Environmental sustainability and social impact – leading responsibly.

This module explores how businesses can lead responsibly on environmental sustainability and social impact and equips participants with practical tools and frameworks to take action.

Participants will receive direct instructions and registration links after enrolment.

The workshops are held online using THE CIVICS Zoom account.

The existing structure cannot be customised per company.

Yes, curriculum overviews can be shared upon request.

Participants can only select one thematic module in each cycle, but may participate in additional modules in future cohorts.

A ReLEAD initiative is a participant-led project that puts responsible leadership principles into real-world action. Participants design their own initiative that addresses a real challenge, engages others, sets clear goals, includes diverse perspectives, and plans for sustainability. Implementation is optional but encouraged, with support from coaching, peer networks, and reflection groups. Completed initiatives become a ReLEAD Impact Spot, connecting the action to a broader European network and showcasing their impact.

A ReLEAD initiative is a participant-led project that puts responsible leadership principles into real-world action. Participants design their own initiative that addresses a real challenge, engages others, sets clear goals, includes diverse perspectives, and plans for sustainability. Implementation is optional but encouraged, with support from coaching, peer networks, and reflection groups. Completed initiatives become a ReLEAD Impact Spot, connecting the action to a broader European network and showcasing their impact.

Implementing an initiative:

• Deepens learning
• Increases organisational impact
• Strengthens visibility
• Enhances individual confidence and capacity for civic engagement

Certification does not depend on whether the initiative is implemented.

Initiatives can be implemented within the company or in the wider community.

Best practices include:

• Leadership recognition
• Internal visibility
• Linking the initiative to existing projects
• Allowing protected time for implementation

We provide support throughout all phases of the process, including:

• Personalised feedback on idea proposal.
• Optional consultation hours.
• Access to a digital reflection group for participants implementing their initiatives
• Visibility for completed initiatives recognised as Impact Spots on the CIVICS NETWORK MAP

The ReLEAD Toolbox is a physical set of practical resources and tools provided to all participating companies, designed to help apply responsible leadership principles in the workplace or community. It offers guidance, methods, and exercises to support learning, project development, and team engagement, helping turn ReLEAD insights into concrete actions and sustainable impact.

• Approx. 15 hours over 10 weeks,
• First cohort: 4 May to 11 July 2026

The programme will be conducted in English.

The programme is fully online.

In its first cycle in 2026, ReLEAD operates in ten European countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, and the UK.

No, participation is free of charge.

We strongly encourage companies to allow employees to complete the self-paced learning units and to develop their ReLEAD Initiative during working hours. The live group workshops are scheduled during working hours and, depending on the selected module, take place either from 09:00–11:00 CET or 16:00–18:00 CET. Participation in the live group workshops is mandatory.

Participants complete the ReLEAD programme through the following structured learning journey:

1. Enrolment and onboarding
2. Core module: civic skills – two self-paced learning units
3. Selection of one thematic module – two self-paced units plus participation in two transnational live online group workshops
4. Development of own ReLEAD Initiative
5. Optional implementation of own ReLEAD Initiative

Successful completion of the programme requires:

• Completion of the two self-paced learning units
• Participation in the two transnational live group workshops
• Submission of a concept design for the offline initiative

Implementation of the offline initiative is encouraged but not required for certification.

Upon successful completion, both participants and their companies receive certification and an open badge – a validated, shareable digital badge containing information about skills and achievements.

To participate, companies agree to:

• Sign a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC)
• Sign a GDPR document to confirm compliance with data protection rules
• Nominate a contact person in their company
• Engage a minimum of three employees
• Allow employees to participate in the programme during working hours, at least for the group workshops
• Ensure their employees attend the mandatory group workshops
• Provide appropriate workspace for attendance modules, where possible
• Share a short company profile for partner visibility

• Participants:
  • Motivated employees, trusted by colleagues
  • Cross-department representation and a mix of roles where possible
  • Adequate English proficiency
  • Voluntary participation is encouraged, as it tends to increase motivation
• Companies:
  • Businesses operating in the private sector; non-profits and social enterprises are not eligible
  • Suitable for both SMEs and large corporations
  • There are no strict sector limitations within the private sector
• Can an individual join the programme (outside the company)?
  • No. Participation requires company engagement.

A minimum of three employees per company can participate; there is no maximum limit.

ReLead helps companies to:

• Strengthen internal leadership capacity
• Improve communication under pressure
• Navigating complexity and societal change
• Build sustainability and ESG literacy
• Increase resilience and engagement
• Signal a responsible leadership culture
• Becoming part of a transnational network

• Low impact if leadership is disengaged
• Limited effect if participants lack time or support
• Reduced value if participation is purely symbolic

• It is not a full transformation programme – it builds leadership skills and capacity, but does not change the entire organisation on its own
• It does not replace consultancy or deep organisational development
• Implementation remains the company’s responsibility

Yes, templates and visuals will be provided to participating companies.

Please contact us at relead@thecivics.eu.