Welcome to Grow3Leaders

Why Join Grow3Leaders?

Changing the World starts with you. Like Gandhi said, "Be the change you want to see." At TransformationFirst.Asia, we believe that change begins with letting your best come out by transforming yourself first, including the behaviors you show in the workplace. 

We created Grow3Leaders in 2019 as an international community of practice where you take leadership challenges, not alone but with three colleagues you invite to form a Collab. Growing your leadership together is faster, more effective, and more fun than working alone. 

When you join Grow3Leaders, you gain access to all the resources we have created for our members. Our methods are informed by the latest scientific leadership research and Asia's wisdom traditions. Each Challenge has a digital credential you can earn and post on LinkedIn. Select the next available challenges in our calendar and find out more in the challenge descriptions below. 

Calendar of Leadership Challenges

The WORLDviews Challenge (Eleven Days)

• Start anytime: Work In All Colors course with worksheets and support as needed, with your certification after completing the modules.

The LEADcoach Challenge (Three Weeks)

• 19 July – 30 August 2024: Completed
• 4 November – 22 November 2024: Apply now
• 10 February – 28 February 2025: First run of 2025 
• Certification after completing two workshops, three practice conversations in your workplace, and a short video to share your practice experiences. 

The LEADweek Challenge (Three Weeks)

• Start anytime: Certification after three weeks of daily practice.

The Workplace Challenge (Six Weeks)

• 3 June – 12 July 2024: Completed
• 5 August – 13 September 2024: Completed
• 30 September – 8 November 2024: Last opportunity in 2024
• 17 March – 25 April 2025: First run of 2025
• Certification after completing the challenge with takeaways and a story of change to share in your workplace.

The Crossgen Challenge (Ten Weeks)

• 8 January – 15 March 2024: Completed
• To be scheduled in 2025: First run of 2025

The Trusted Leaders Challenge (Twelve Months)

• January – December 2023: Completed
• January – December 2024: Ongoing
• Start anytime: Certification after 12 months of practice.

Every Challenge Starts with a Collab

When you want to join one of our leadership challenges, the first step is to invite three colleagues to join you and form a Collab together. Our challenges are designed to be taken together as Collab rather than individually. That's where Grow3Leaders stands out from other leadership development programs.

Who to invite to join in your Collab? In our experience, it will work best when you invite enthusiastic colleagues with whom you already have a trusted relationship. 

Crossgen works best. We recommend that you invite colleagues from different generations to join your Collab. That gives you all an opportunity to grow Crossgen leadership skills.  

A Meet and Greet Call with your Collabmates and Coach Wouter gives you a great chance to get to know each other and ask questions about the challenge your Collab wants to take. 

To join any of the challenges, apply now for a Grow3Leaders membership subscription plan at USD 33 per month. Learn and practice as long as you want. Membership is individual. 

As a bonus, once your membership application is approved, you immediately receive full access to our extensive learning resources on the 12 Effective Leadership Behaviors as full members of our international Grow3Leaders community of practice. You can stay longer to take more leadership challenges with us in the community. We recommend that you do that to build your leadership muscles.

The LEADweek Challenge

The LEADweek Challenge is where you and the three colleagues you invite to join you and form a Collab will together learn and practice how to build a strong weekly leadership routine, seven days a week, including celebration and inspiration during the weekend, and planning, outreach, reflection and much more on weekdays. If you are committed to practicing together, you can earn your certification within one month.

You will find more information here soon about what you need to know in the run-up to our start on 10 November 2024.  

The LEADcoach Challenge

The LEADcoach Challenge is where you and the three colleagues you invite to join you will together learn and practice how to use the coaching style in your workplace. If you are committed to the schedule you can earn your certification within two months.

Workshop 1 (90 minutes): Familiarize yourself with the coaching mindset and start practicing 5 and 10-minute coaching conversations with a colleague using the TAP Coaching Style.

Workshop 2 (90 minutes): Practice coaching a colleague using the Pave the Way ARROW coaching style in a 20-minute coaching conversation and receive feedback from observers. This allows you to learn some of the finer points of coaching. 

Workshop 3 (90 minutes): Continue practicing the Pave the Way ARROW coaching style in a 20-minute coaching conversation and learn from feedback.

Workplace Practice: Conduct three coaching-style conversations with different colleagues in your workplace to practice what you learned. 

Essay and Video: Write a one-page essay reflecting on what you learned from your three practice sessions and record a 3-minute video to share your lessons with the Grow3Leaders community of practice. Your essay and video will be assessed to determine if you have earned the certification for using the coaching style.

As a bonus, once your application is approved, you immediately receive full access to our extensive learning resources on the 12 Effective Leadership Behaviors as full members of our international Grow3Leaders community of practice. You can stay longer to take more leadership challenges with us in the community. We recommend that you do that to build your leadership muscles.

The Workplace Challenge

APPLY NOW for The Workplace Challenge where you and the three colleagues you invite to join you will together drive a positive change in your workplace in just Six Weeks. You will select this change yourselves and it will be an integral part of your work. 

When you take The Workplace Challenge you learn to use effective leadership behaviors in starting, accelerating, and finishing the change you drive in your workplace. Since 2019, well over a hundred leaders have graduated from this Challenge to become effective leaders.

Who to invite to join in your Collab? It works best when you invite enthusiastic colleagues with whom you already have a trusted relationship. We recommend you practice Crossgen leadership by inviting colleagues from two or more generations into your Collab.  

To join, apply now for a Grow3Leaders membership subscription plan at USD 33 per month. Learn and practice as long as you want. Membership is individual. To complete this challenge you will need two months of membership. Note: customized corporate plans are available on demand to support your organization's learning and development objectives.

As a bonus, once your application is approved, you immediately receive full access to our extensive learning resources on the 12 Effective Leadership Behaviors as full members of our international Grow3Leaders community of practice. You can stay longer to take more leadership challenges with us in the community. We recommend that you do that to build your leadership muscles.

Schedule for The Workplace Challenge: 

• Apply and form your Collab: applications are open now.
• Introduce your Collab on Monday 29 July 2024. 
• Start Week 1 on Monday 5 August 2024.
• Finish Week 6 on Friday 13 September 2024. 
• Optional: 2 extra weeks to share Takeaways and create your Story of Change.

If you have a question, message Coach Wouter on LinkedIn to connect and get your questions answered. We offer introductory calls for new Collabs to get to know each other.

The Trusted Leaders Challenge

In this 12-month 'marathon' of our leadership challenges, you learn and practice to become a trusted leader in your workplace. This takes time and consistent practice. You will earn 1) the trust of your colleagues, 2) the trust of your executives (which can boost your career), and, importantly, 3) your trust in yourself as you transform and grow as a leader. You will discover the power of 12 effective leadership behaviors, diving into one behavior together each month.

Every month of the Challenge you learn in depth what it means to show up with effective leadership behaviors such as Connect, Engage, Multiply, Coach, Focus, Question, Feedback, and more. You will also work on your leadership vision and prepare your own leadership development plan. Each month, you will learn how to avoid three mistakes and use three powerful tools. Resources for further learning are provided in our monthly leadership guides.

The Crossgen Challenge

In early 2024, we pioneered The Crossgen Challenge to create a positive change in your workplace as Collabs of cross-generational leaders. The Challenge was facilitated by a cross-generational pair of coaches: Vanh (Gen Y Millennial) and Wouter (Boomer). 

Bringing together Gen Z, Y, X, and Boomer colleagues in your workplace, The Crossgen Challenge takes a deep dive into overcoming generational bias and creating better results through collaboration. 

Elements of Crossgen leadership are now being integrated into all our Challenges. A second run of the Crossgen Challenge is on the cards for the second half of 2024.

More Challenges

Next leadership challenges to look forward to include: building a strong weekly leadership practice and expanding your self-awareness in work and life. As a community of practice, we welcome new ideas from our members for additional challenges that meet their needs. 

Monthly Community Calls

Members can join our Monthly Mentoring Calls to share their experiences practicing the monthly theme. The monthly Party of Positivity serves to celebrate personal progress together. LEADtalks are given by members to share their experiences and insights. More initiatives are coming, including LEADcoach to practice using the coaching style.   

Is Grow3Leaders a good fit for Me?

You will be a good fit if you want to grow your leadership and you are: 

1. A working professional* with a passion for changing the world, starting in your workplace.

2. Committed to developing and practicing your leadership abilities with fellow leaders. 

3. Ready to take on leadership challenges and share your experiences in our community.

* Since we started in 2019, we have supported leaders for sustainability in many sectors, including water, energy, climate action and adaptation, environmental improvement, waste management, technology, finance, education, social protection, and peacebuilding. 

What does it cost?

You can join leadership challenges in Grow3Leaders by purchasing a monthly membership plan. Check the available plan(s) on this page. 

How can my company pay?

Payment by invoice can be arranged in consultation. Reach out if you want your company to pay for your Collab’s membership in Grow3Leaders and participation in one or more of our leadership challenges and we can find a solution for that.

How much time does it take?

You will get the most benefit from your Challenge when you spend 15 minutes daily on weekdays in the Grow3Leaders platform, share your progress and lessons learned in your Collab every week, join the regular live calls, and share regular 3-min Collab videos on what you have learned together during a Challenge. Assignments help you to practice what you are learning together.

You will get the most out of the Challenge when you work together daily in your Collab as part of your regular work, making the Challenge an integral part of your work. That's what we expect you to do.

What should I do to join? 

Invite three colleagues from your workplace (business, organization, or project) to form a Collab together. Then apply to join Grow3Leaders by purchasing a plan. You will be asked to answer 5 questions. If your application is approved your plan will take effect and you get access to Grow3Leaders and can join the Challenge you like. For tips on how to invite 3 colleagues, watch the video at the bottom of this page. Check for available plans.

These are the questions to answer in your application:

1. Why do you want to join the Grow3Leaders community of practice?
2. Where do you work and what is your role there? Who is joining you to form a Collab of four leaders in your workplace?
3. What positive change will your Collab influence together in your workplace in six weeks and why is that change important to you and the organization?
4. If you had a magic wand, what behavior would you change in yourself to become a more effective leader?
5. Do you commit to practicing your leadership with your Collab in our community for at least 15 min every weekday, as part of your work?

Who are the organizers?

Grow3Leaders was created by Coach Wouter, leadership coach and founder of TransformationFirst.Asia, his thought leaders practice in Singapore. He coaches teams of leaders through transitions and has helped clients from 129 countries across 5 continents. See his LinkedIn profile and you're welcome to connect with him. Several Collab Leaders who have completed an earlier challenge are volunteering to work with Coach Wouter as Mentors.

Our earlier results

Since we started Grow3Leaders in 2019, more than 150 leaders from 25 countries have stretched themselves to practice effective leadership behaviors in their work. The majority have successfully completed the Grow3Leaders Challenge to influence a positive change in their workplace in just six weeks. Others have joined The Trusted Leaders Challenge and The Crossgen Challenge.

Digital credential badges

Graduates who make it to the finish of a challenge will earn a digital badge to show your achievement and the investment you made in your leadership growth. The credentials are issued by TransformationFirst.Asia, our thought leaders practice in Singapore.

Mentors and buddies

When you join one of our leadership challenges, you can get support from—and be challenged by—mentors who are graduates from earlier challenges and have chosen to volunteer as mentors to grow more leaders, guided by Coach Wouter. You can also buddy up with fellow leaders from other Collabs.

Where are participants from?

Our diverse international community currently has members in Australia, Brazil, France, Guatemala, Philippines, Indonesia, Italy, Netherlands, Nepal, Spain, Timor Leste and Switzerland. 

Who joined the earlier challenges?

Participants have joined from Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kazakhstan, Korea, Mongolia, Nepal, Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines, Suriname, and several other countries. Meet some of the participants of earlier challenges in this 1-min clip.

What did participants say?

Watch what participants shared in this 3-minute clip. 

I acknowledge Grow3Leaders for building my skills and understanding of influential leadership behaviors which I practised on a daily basis. This led me to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) where I am now part of Infrastructure for Tomorrow and continue practicing my leadership skills on daily basis. — Sabah Iqbal (Collab Leader)

Highly recommended for those interested in growing and strengthening their leadership capabilities and having on-the-ground impact. — Andres Cabrera Flamini (Co-founder)

This leadership challenge has impacted me and my colleagues in many ways we have never imagined. The Grow3Leaders experience was surprising and meaningful. Take up the challenge and give others the leadership baton!

— Sharleen Tomobe (Collab Leader who became Mentor)

Come and join us to become a trusted leader in your workplace and beyond, you won't be disappointed! — Celine Marchenay (Collab Leader who became Mentor)

How to invite 3 colleagues? 

In the Grow3Leaders, you become a Collab Leader when you invite three colleagues from your workplace to form a Collab with you. If that feels like a challenge for you, you can watch how Coach Wouter unpacks and explains the process of inviting three colleagues in this 16-minute reflection. While he referred to forming a Collab for the Grow3Leaders Challenge, your process of inviting three colleagues is similar in The Workplace Challenge, The Trusted Leaders Challenge, and The Crossgen Challenge.

Free Call with Coach Wouter

If you are committed to growing your leadership and you have questions about joining the challenge then book a Free Call with Coach Wouter to get your questions answered. You can also reach out by messaging him on LinkedIn.