How we work

From Inner Work To Outer Change. We believe the future belongs to leaders who dare to look inward and lead outward.

At The Unfold Academy, we see leadership as a human practice. Grounded in awareness. Built on courage. Directed toward meaningful, systemic impact. Our work is grounded in a simple idea: Inner growth fuels outer change.

Approach

Our Future Leadership Framework

We guide leaders, teams, and cultures through a journey across four connected domains:

Foundation: The Self

This is where it all begins: developing self-awareness, acting from your values, and showing up with integrity, courage, and a strong sense of purpose.

Capabilities: Skills

Here we cultivate the skills and mindsets needed to lead in a rapidly changing world with curiosity, creativity, complexity awareness, and the confidence to take ownership.

Connection: Relationships

Leadership doesn’t happen in isolation. This domain is about building trust and psychological safety, fostering deep listening, and engaging in courageous conversations that allow relationships to thrive.

Contribution: Creating meaningful impact

Inner growth ultimately seeks outward expression through storytelling, vision, regenerative learning, system awareness, and navigating resistance, this part of the journey focuses on creating meaningful impact.

In each domain, we work with essential themes and guiding questions, always shaped around the real challenges our clients face.

Reflect, adapt
and start over

Our framework is not a checklist, it’s a cycle. Growth is not linear. It requires space to reflect, adapt, and start over.

Our programs are designed with this rhythm in mind: reflection, integration, and re-entry. Because leadership doesn’t just happen in the room, it happens in the real world, in real relationships, under real pressure.

Backed by theory & inspired by wisdom.

Our work draws on a blend of proven frameworks and transformative practices.

We incorporate the Inner Development Goals (IDGs), Theory U, Lencioni, Management Drives, and the Systems Thinking of the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL).

Alongside these, we integrate practices like breathwork, embodiment, systemic constellations, regenerative leadership, ancient wisdom, and nature-based learning to create deep, lasting change.

How this comes
to life.

Every journey we design is tailored to people, context, and intention. All our programs are built upon our Future Leadership Framework. We always begin with one-on-one intakes, followed by a full-day or 24-hour session, an evaluation, and optional follow-up. Some journeys unfold over several months, others within shorter time frames. Ideally, we reconnect each quarter to sustain momentum.

Integration and real-world anchoring are always part of the work. Because inner work without outer integration doesn’t lead to change, it leads to insight. We’re here to support both.

What makes
us us

We start within.

Our belief is simple: inner clarity drives outer change. We help people lead from who they are, not just what they know. We do this through our Future Leadership Framework: a process that builds courage, deepens consciousness, and aligns action with values.

We bridge the gap.

We integrate two worlds: old and new leadership, science and wisdom, head and heart, profit and purpose. We understand business realities, and we meet the growing need for human connection.

We don’t do quick fixes.

We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all. Our journeys are reflective, experiential, and shaped around the real questions people and organisations face. We act quickly, but always with depth, adapting to what each person and system truly needs.

We work across levels.

From emerging talents to senior leaders, we design for impact across the whole system. That’s how we build alignment, integrity, and lasting change.

We walk the talk.

We’re not your typical trainers; we’re facilitators, practitioners, and fellow travelers. We don’t just teach this work, we live it. Our practice is shaped by real experience in regenerative leadership, business, systems thinking, and psychology.

We are a community of experts.

We partner with certified, experienced facilitators and coaches who’ve done the inner work and bring both presence and depth to their practice. Their guidance is grounded in proven frameworks, real experience, and (measurable) impact.

Great leadership drives engagement, culture, and business performance.

Managers account for 70% of the variance in employee engagement

25 %

Companies that invest in leadership development see stronger retention and trust

Source: Gallup | DDI World

What our clients say

“From the very first meeting with Barbara, there was an instant personal connection. What struck us immediately was her unwavering focus on people, placing them truly at the heart of the organisation, which deeply resonates with our own values. Barbara has a keen eye for personalities: she intuitively understands how individuals are wired, how they interact, and how these dynamics manifest within a team or company culture. Her insights brought a remarkable level of clarity and openness, empowering each team member to operate more effectively in their strengths. She addresses challenges in a professional and respectful way, creating space for honest dialogue. This approach has enabled us to grow, not just as individuals, but as a stronger, more cohesive organisation.”

Cris Oosterveld, Managing Director, Big Wave Company

“I recently took part in a leadership session with The Unfold Academy, and it turned out to be a truly valuable experience. Their professional approach, combined with a remarkably sharp eye, allows them to get to the heart of a challenge with impressive speed. They ask the right questions, make meaningful connections, and know exactly what is needed to create momentum. At the same time, they foster a safe and open environment where you feel at ease and are encouraged to take real steps forward. The day was content-rich, practical, and genuinely inspiring. Highly recommended for anyone seeking depth and tangible results.”

Guust van Susante