LEAD IN: Leadership for Innovation and Sustainable Tomorrow – The Future Starts Now

In Industry 5.0, where technology and artificial intelligence meet human-centricity and sustainability, leaders are no longer simply "process managers" but, above all, architects of change. Their role is to combine innovation with social responsibility, financial results with employee well-being, and data with empathy. This is precisely what LEAD IN prepares future leaders for.

LEAD IN is an innovative, new-generation leadership course specifically designed for technical university students who are poised to become the leaders of Industry 5.0. This project addresses the key challenges of the 21st century by combining advanced engineering skills with an ethical, sustainable, and innovative management style.

Strengths and Unique Course Structure

1. International Expertise from Three Universities:

The course was developed as a KA220-HED partnership by three leading European higher education institutions from Poland (Wroclaw University of Science and Technology), Sweden (Linkoping University) and Portugal (Lusofona University). This synergy of knowledge and experience from diverse academic environments guarantees a broad perspective and the highest quality of content.

2. Integrated Thematic Modules

The program is divided into strategically interconnected modules that comprehensively prepare students for a leadership role:

• Leadership for Innovation: Focuses on defining innovation, key competencies for innovation leaders, and creating a conducive environment for implementing change within teams
• Leadership for Diversity and Inclusion: Demonstrates how Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) becomes a strategic driver for innovation
• Leadership for Sustainable Change: Teaches how to integrate sustainable development goals (ESG, Triple Bottom Line) with an organizational vision to lead long-term, adaptive changes.

3. Innovative Methodology and Interactive Tools:

Forget boring lectures! LEAD IN prioritizes active learning:

• Decision-Making Games and Role-Play: Students participate in interactive exercises, role-play scenarios, and mini decision-making games that simulate real-world leadership and managerial challenges
• Practical Case Studies: Analysis of complex business cases (e.g., Elon Musk/Twitter, Paul Polman/Unilever, Patagonia) allows for the immediate application of theory to practice
• Knowledge Exchange: Utilization of platforms for peer-review in online assignments, which deepens reflection and teaches constructive feedback.

LEAD IN is an investment in your future – it is a course that transforms technical students into conscious, innovative, and responsible leaders capable of driving global, sustainable transformation.

In brief:

This isn't just another e-learning course with static presentations to click through. The entire LEAD IN framework is built on mechanisms from Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and ABC learning design. Students learn through listening, watching, doing, discussing, collaborating, and creating their own solutions.

In practice, this means:

• mini-video lectures
• podcasts featuring business practitioners
• interactive quizzes
• discussion forums
• peer-review exercises
• decision-making games and digital escape rooms

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.