Insight-Out Leadership Training 2026

When, where and costs?

9 August to 15 August 2026 (including travel days)

at Schloss Kalkhorst (Germany)

Very close to the baltic sea, and about 45min from the beautiful hanseatic town of Lübeck.

Cost: Donation-based, Minimum contribution: 100,- €

(The actual costs are aprox. 955,- € per participant.)

Karte zum Schloss
Schloss Kalkhorst
For whom?

For young adults (approx. 18-35 years)

from Europe and the Mediterranean

Seminar language: English (without translation)

Application deadline: 21st of June at midnight (CEST)

Apply now

Start with yourself. Act where it matters.

You care about the world.

You want to contribute meaningfully.

But at times, it’s not clear:

  • what is truly yours to do
  • what you stand for under pressure
  • how to act with integrity in complex situations

Most leadership programmes give you tools.

Very few give you space to ask the deeper questions:

What drives me? What do I stand for? What kind of leader do I want to be?

Insight-Out Leadership is an invitation to explore exactly that - and to turn insight into action.

 

An immersive learning journey combining:
  • a 5-day residential experience
  • and a 3-month follow-up phase with real-life application

The aim is to connect:

  • inner reflection
  • relational learning
  • and concrete action
Group work
Three interconnected dimensions:
  • Personal leadership
    Exploring your values, motivations, and inner compass
  • Relational leadership
    Practicing deep listening, honest dialogue, and working across differences
  • Leadership in action
    Translating insight into responsible action in your own context

What you will explore

The process is experiential and participatory. You will engage through:

  • Reflection and quiet time
  • Dialogue and story sharing
  • Coaching and peer learning
  • Interactive group processes

The emphasis is not on learning about change - but on understanding your role within it.

 

This programme is designed for people who:

  • are at a formative stage of their personal and professional lives
  • already carry or are stepping into responsibility (professional, civic, or community)
  • are seeking greater clarity of purpose, values, and direction
  • want to connect personal growth with meaningful contribution to society

Participants typically include:

  • young professionals
  • students
  • activists
  • community organisers

The group will be intentionally diverse:

across countries in Europe and the Mediterranean

across backgrounds and experiences

with a mix of people familiar with IofC and newcomers 

This may not be the right space if:

  • you are mainly looking for quick tools or technical skills
  • you are not open to self-reflection and inner work
  • you prefer a purely theoretical or lecture-based format
  • you cannot commit to the full process (training + follow-up)

The experience

Part 1 – Residential training (5 days)

Schloss Kalkhorst, Northern Germany

An immersive, residential experience in a quiet, natural setting — designed to support reflection, dialogue, and focused learning.

Part 2 – Follow-up phase (3 months)

After the training, the journey continues.

Participants are supported to:

  • reflect on their learning in their everyday context
  • initiate small local projects or actions
  • stay connected with peers and facilitators

This phase is essential:

→ it turns insight into real-world impact 

 

Why this matters

Many of today’s challenges are not only technical - they are human.

People face:

  • ethical tension
  • uncertainty in leadership
  • fragmentation between values and action
This programme creates a space to:
  • strengthen your ethical orientation
  • reconnect action with inner clarity
  • build trust-based relationships
  • take responsible action in complex environments

Application

deadline: 21 June 2026 (midnight CEST)

Selection is based on motivation and readiness, not formal status or age, with the aim of creating a committed and balanced group.

As part of your application, we ask you to complete the application form and submit a short video (max. 3 minutes) introducing yourself and sharing your motivation to join the programme. Please send a link to the video (i.e. private link on YouTube) to germany@iofc.org.

 

Apply now

 

Team

Bhavesh S Patel
Bhavesh S Patel

(Lead Facilitator)

I spend most of my time supporting individuals and groups having conversations about their messy realities as they look for direction and make decisions. Usually these are networked groups, often global, often with unevenly distributed power and resources. All of them are trying to make a difference in people's lives, their own lives, and our planet. I use an eclectic range of sources and have been deeply influenced by complexity thinking, coaching, and spirituality. You might call me a facilitator, trainer, coach, host, or even a conversational gardener. If I am honest, I find it difficult to define my work and give myself a specific title or badge, and I quite like that!

Diana Damsa
Diana Damsa

(Facilitator)

My background combines degrees in Law and Music with postgraduate studies in Healing of Memories, Mediation, and Intercultural and Interfaith Communication. Over the past 20 years, I have designed, organized, and facilitated training courses, dialogue and circle processes, youth empowerment programs, ethical leadership workshops, and international conferences, working with diverse groups across cultures and sectors.

Ruve Narang
Ruve Narang

(Facilitator)

I am an interdisciplinary artist, curator, and facilitator working at the intersection of art, storytelling, and community engagement. Over the past eight years, I have worked across media, education, and cultural programming, creating spaces that foster reflection, dialogue, and creative expression. Through my work, I explore themes of identity, belonging, and social change, using art as a tool for connection, collaboration, and collective learning. Based between India and Germany, I am the founder of Outright Art.

Sebastian Hasse
Sebastian Hasse

(Programme Manager)

Since 2012 I have been active in civil society. For many years, I served on the board of Initiative Mittel- und Osteuropa e.V. (InMOE), and for the past two years I have been the Chair of Initiatives of Change Germany. I am a trained mediator, an experienced project coordinator, and an alumnus of the Caux Scholars Program and the Caux Peace and Leadership Program. I believe that stories, paradoxes and contradictory perspectives are an essential part of human life.

 

A final thought

This programme does not offer ready-made answers.

It offers something more demanding - and more useful:

→ the opportunity to understand yourself more clearly, and to act from that clarity.