Leverage Change Program
Learn to Navigate Complex Challenges using Systems Thinking
Leverage Change is India’s first 2-month certification program designed for working professionals to learn and apply systems thinking.
About the Program
Leverage Change is India’s first 2-month certification program designed for working professionals to learn and apply systems thinking. Participants will bring a real-world problem statement from their work environment and will apply systems thinking through the program. Guided by expert mentorship, this program covers the philosophy, tools, and application of systems thinking, helping participants learn how to effectively use these skills in their professional work.
Program Design
The 2-month program offers a mix of online learning and in-person application:
6 live online sessions
Two-day in-person workshop in Delhi (NCR) for hands-on application
6 one-on-one mentorship calls
Post-program support (one week) to document participant work
Knowledge sharing and peer-learning opportunities
Learning Outcomes
Throughout the program, participants will:
- Develop skills to analyze and address systemic issues using a live problem statement.
- Enhance articulation of complex issues for stakeholder engagement.
- Apply systems thinking tools in real-world scenarios.
- Recognize unintended consequences of interventions.
- Balance short-term and long-term perspectives and use storytelling techniques.
- Learn to use STELLA software for creating diagrams.
Program Facilitators
Mihir Mathur
Lead facilitator
Founder, DESTA Research LLP. Mihir has been applying systems thinking and system dynamics modeling to real world systems for the past 15 years. He works with organizations and planners to improve their decision-making processes. He is a visiting faculty at TISS, Hyderabad and ISDM, Noida. He also runs a theater group in Delhi and creates music to keep both left and right side of his brain engaged.
Kabir Sharma
Co-facilitator
Founder, DESTA Research LLP. Kabir Sharma specializes in applying systems thinking, system dynamics and participatory modeling as means to understand, and build insights on, real-world problems. He has been hands-on in the execution of 20+ projects on sustainability and climate with partners, such as identifying climate linkages of projects, modeling city, national and localized net-zero, working with communities and NGOs on climate resilience and groundwater.
Kartik Bitra
Co-facilitator
Kartik has a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering and Masters in Product Design from Indian Institute of Information Technology Design & Manufacturing Kancheepuram. He has worked on livelihood interventions in tribal villages of Chhattisgarh. He has been applying systems thinking along with his technical and design expertise to various projects to inform transformative outcomes.
Swati Saxena
Co-facilitator
Swati is a curious explorer and after coming across Systems Thinking in 2018, she wants more people to learn from and apply it to their lives. She has been leading a network of committed young Indians to enable them in finding their potential and making a difference. Swati has a certification in system dynamics modeling from University of Bergen, Norway. She also teaches an online course on reframing climate change using Systems Thinking at Common Earth.
Eligibility
Criteria
The program welcomes:
- Experienced Professionals: Minimum 5 years and maximum 8 years of full-time work experience. Candidates must be currently leading or co-leading projects and should have managerial authority to apply their learning into their work.
- Sector Focus: Participants should be from the social or environmental sectors (e.g., working on any SDG goals, climate change, natural resource management, etc.).
- Direct Implementation: Both the participant and their organization should be engaged in hands-on, on-ground projects.
- Individuals without Organizational Affiliation: Those interested in applied systems thinking and have some experience with the concept may also apply.
Participant Expectations
To maximize learning and program impact, participants should:
- Dedicate 8 hours weekly (2 hours for online sessions + 6 hours for additional work).
- Be able to travel to Delhi for the in-person workshop.
- Embrace unlearning and relearning, as the process may challenge pre-existing beliefs.
- Engage fully in the program, showing openness to self-improvement.
- Commit to applying their learnings in real-world situations for meaningful impact.
Key Information
- Duration: 2 months (11th January to 8th March, 2025)
- Format: Weekly online sessions + In-person workshop in Delhi (NCR)* on 3rd-4th Feb
- Time Commitment: 8 hours per week (Online session, mentorship call, and self-work)
- Cohort Size: 8 participants
- Program Fee: ₹2 Lakhs (plus 18% GST)
*Accommodation and food during the workshop is included in the program fee. Travel cost would have to be borne by the participant.
Selection Process
- Fill the online application form
- Have a conversation with the DESTA team
- Confirm your seat in the program after making full fee payment in advance
- Last date to apply: 20th December 2024