Master the art of transformation

At SHIFTSCHOOL, we help individuals, teams and organizations master the challenges of transformation with our one-of-a-kind Transformation Leadership Programs for century 21. Are you ready to start this exciting journey?

Why SHIFTSCHOOL?

We focus on exactly one thing: how to master & lead transformation

This is not a jack-of-all-trades academy. We are a master of one: Transformative Leadership. Instead of riding exponential tech waves, crashcoursing method after method, and advocating nonsense e-learnings, we concentrate on what really matters: HOW to lead transformation. SHIFTSCHOOL aims to develop learning formats for people who want to sustainably change themselves and their teams. The goal is always to shape the digital, ecological, and societal transformation ahead of us. Moreover, we are convinced that it is not technology that should decide how we live and work in the future, but we people. That’s why we only work with those who understand that they have to change themselves.

Our leadership programs

We enable you to SHAPE transformation in organizations

Our Leadership Programs are designed for people who want to develop a new attitude towards change and transformation, learn how to put 21st century leadership skills into action and lead transformation projects. Discover the mindset, skills, and network that you need to improve yourself, your company and thus the world. In our SHAPE® Transformative Leadership Program, we prepare you for both, growing personally and having a positive impact on the world through leading and shaping transformation and transformation projects.

What graduates say about SHIFTSCHOOL

As someone who has been involved in and driving digital transformation for more than 10 years, SHIFTSCHOOL has been with me since it was founded in 2015 and has always provided me with inspiration, ideas and valuable input. From the network that has emerged, new collaborations continue to emerge to drive topics forward. Especially the combination of methods, technologies and people are of great importance to me.

For me, a transformation is more than a change in technology; it is, above all, a major change. This also has a lot to do with a personal attitude of shaping change in favor of people. With the SHAPE Framework, SHIFTSCHOOL set up exactly the right program at the right time for me and I could identify with it from day one.

The complete journey from the first weekend in Bavarian Canada to the final weekend gave me a lot of inspiration, but also made me think and change – also by making me leave my comfort zone. This was achieved not only by Tobias alone, but in the whole group together. The team was always able to make a big difference with new ideas, suggestions and also controversial discussions, which overall helped us a lot on our journey to Digital Leadership.

Together with the other programs SHIFT and SHINE, it is my path to becoming a Digital Leader and to future-proof leadership. A journey because it is not a destination but a constant evolution. Nothing is as certain as constant change! #transform, transform, transform

Markus Birkel
Markus Birkel
Head of IT & Digital Transformation
medi GmbH & Co. KG

With the new SHAPE Framework, SHIFTSCHOOL hits the mark. Digitization was just the first of many, even bigger transformations that are coming our way – as human beings and employees in a company.

The program not only shows what changes we will have to deal with in the future – it also made me feel what it is like to leave your comfort zone and the path of what you know and have learned, to really embrace innovation and thus let go of security, and what it means for your ego to collaborate with other egos. Now I am really looking forward to everything that is coming and can better assess which stumbling blocks I can expect.

At our SHAPE kick-off weekend in the Bavarian Forest, I was also fortunate to meet a group of exciting people who functioned as a network right from the beginning, catching uncertainty and helping to grow safely – even after the program ended. This valuable experience will resonate for a long time – thank you so much SHIFTSCHOOL for equipping me for the future.

Kathleen Kleibrink
Kathleen Kleibrink
Strategist and Founder
Planet Courage

Known from

Transformation for organizations

We design transformative learning experiences for century 21

Digital transformation is turning the world upside down. Organizations must transform their paradigm of leadership if they want to address the economical, ecological, and societal challenges of the future. It is time to combine personal growth, organizational transformation, and sustainable development into one holistic approach. With our TRAILBLAZER®, we offer a state-of-the-art Leadership Development Program for companies and empower team and leadership development – all with the purpose of creating sustainable change that matters.

What companies 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

Facts & figures

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SHIFTSCHOOL - Studio 21 Logo

The workbench. A playground. Our schoolhouse. Or simply the living room of SHIFTSCHOOL. Overall our studio is a secluded retreat and a unique location for a special workshop. Training. Offsite. Event. Photoshoot. Podcast. In the heart of Fürth and the Nuremberg metropolitan region.

Shiftschool Guidebook

A Guidebook for Century 21

Discover our Guidebook. In our magazine you will find new articles on transformation, exciting portraits of change-makers and insights into the latest learning methods. Start reading now!

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.