Leading the Way: Becoming a Sustainability Change Agent

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Leading the Way: Becoming a Sustainability Change Agent

This course is part of Transformative Leadership in the Circular Economy Specialization

Instructor: Christy Bozic, PhD, PMP

Included with

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4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

Recommended experience

2 weeks to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

Build toward a degree

Learn more

4 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

Beginner level

Recommended experience

2 weeks to complete

at 10 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

Build toward a degree

Learn more

What you'll learn

Articulate a personal vision for sustainability leadership that aligns with your values, strengths, and career goals.
Analyze the systems, mindsets, and organizational structures that enable or inhibit sustainability-related change.
Develop a personal action plan for advancing sustainability within your current or desired role.
Recognize opportunities to mentor, support and grow others in the sustainability space to amplify collective impact.

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

13 assignments

Taught in English

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Transformative Leadership in the Circular Economy Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 4 modules in this course

Leading the Way: Becoming a Sustainability Change Agent is designed to help you craft a meaningful career that aligns with your values and drives real change in organizations, communities, and industries. Drawing from insights shared by sustainability professionals across diverse roles, you will explore your own leadership style, understand how to build resilience and influence within complex systems, and learn how to position yourself for impact in any industry. Offering an authentic, behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to become an effective sustainability change agent - whether you’re early in a career or looking to expand your influence, this course is ideal for connecting purpose with practice, and discovering how to play a more intentional role in advancing sustainability.

This course was developed in collaboration with Siemens Digital Industries Software and is part of the "Design for the Circular Economy" collection. Learners who complete and pass the course can receive an industry-recognized digital badge. The “Design for the Circular Economy” microcredential and graduate certificate are developed around the educational goals of providing technical, business, and leadership knowledge and skills that inspire the transformation towards a more circular economy. This includes gaining technical knowledge to apply circular economy principles in product design, minimizing waste and maximizing impact; developing business acumen to implement innovative circular economic models that prioritize sustainability and resilience; and acquiring leadership strategies to communicate effectively and inspire change within an organization. This course can be taken for academic credit as part of CU Boulder’s Master of Engineering in Engineering Management (ME-EM) degree offered on the Coursera platform. The ME-EM is designed to help engineers, scientists, and technical professionals move into leadership and management roles in the engineering and technical sectors. With performance-based admissions and no application process, the ME-EM is ideal for individuals with a broad range of undergraduate education and/or professional experience. Learn more about the ME-EM program at https://www.coursera.org/degrees/me-engineering-management-boulder.

Welcome to the course, Leading the Way: Becoming a Sustainability Change Agent. In this first module, you will explore what it means to be a sustainability change agent and how people from all backgrounds can lead change without needing a formal title. You will be introduced to the course, connect with peers, and reflect on your own values and opportunities for impact. Through video, readings, and discussion, you'll begin building the mindset and skills to lead from where you are.

What's included

4 videos4 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt

4 videos Total 18 minutes

Design for the Circular Economy: Program Overview 5 minutes
Introduction to the Course 2 minutes
What is a Change Agent? 5 minutes
Let's Hear from the Experts: Eryn Devola 6 minutes

4 readings Total 70 minutes

Welcome to Design for the Circular Economy 15 minutes
More About Siemens 10 minutes
Non-Credit Students: Welcome and Where to Find Help 10 minutes
Understanding the Role of Sustainability Leaders 35 minutes

1 assignment Total 15 minutes

End of Module 1 Graded Assignment 15 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 10 minutes

Your Role as a Change Agent 10 minutes

In this module, you will learn how to lead sustainability efforts from wherever you sit in an organization. You will explore how systems work, where influence exists, and how your personal values and skills align with opportunities for impact. Through practical frameworks like leverage points, organizational mapping, and spheres of control, influence, and concern, you will identify how and where they can step in to make a difference. You will gain greater clarity on your leadership potential and a strategy for taking the first steps as a sustainability change agent.

What's included

7 videos3 readings4 assignments1 discussion prompt

7 videos Total 49 minutes

Leverage Points for Sustainability 8 minutes
Let's Hear from the Experts: Eryn Devola on Organizational Context 15 minutes
Mapping Influence in Organizations 3 minutes
Skills & Motivation that Guide Sustainability Leadership 4 minutes
Let's Hear from the Experts: Skills and Motivation 15 minutes
Finding Your Point of Entry 3 minutes
Your Spheres of Impact 1 minute

3 readings Total 65 minutes

Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a System 35 minutes
Discovering Your True North for Sustainability Leadership 15 minutes
Your Point of Entry and The Spheres Model 15 minutes

4 assignments Total 130 minutes

Activity: Mapping Influence in Your Organization 30 minutes
Activity: Mapping Your True North 30 minutes
Activity: Mapping Your Spheres of Impact 30 minutes
End of Module 2 Graded Assessment 40 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 30 minutes

Share Your True North 30 minutes

In this module you will explore the diverse and evolving landscape of sustainability careers. You will examine roles across industries and sectors, analyze the skills most in demand, and reflect on how their own experiences, values, and motivations align with emerging opportunities. Whether you are seeking to pivot into a new role or deepen your impact within your current position, the module offers practical tools for positioning yourself as a sustainability change agent. Through guided activities, you will craft a professional narrative that clearly communicates their purpose, capabilities, and desired impact.

What's included

6 videos4 readings4 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt

6 videos Total 38 minutes

Navigating Career Pathways in Sustainability 1 minute
Sustainability Careers - Beyond the Job Title 4 minutes
Let's Hear from the Experts: Roles, Skills, and Sectors in Sustainability 17 minutes
Breaking In or Pivoting Toward a Sustainability Role 3 minutes
Let's Hear from the Experts: Breaking In or Pivoting to a Sustainability Role 6 minutes
Presenting Yourself as a Sustainability Change Agent 7 minutes

4 readings Total 75 minutes

What Do Sustainability Leaders Actually Do? 5 minutes
Exploring the Sustainability Landscape 30 minutes
Discovering Jobs in the Sustainability Landscape 30 minutes
How to Craft a Career Narrative 10 minutes

4 assignments Total 190 minutes

Roles, Skills, and Sectors in Sustainability 15 minutes
Activity: Your Fit in the Sustainability Landscape 45 minutes
Activity: Craft Your Career Narrative 90 minutes
End of Module 3 Graded Assessment 40 minutes

1 peer review Total 60 minutes

Share and Get Feedback on Your Career Narrative 60 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 25 minutes

Share Your Fit 25 minutes

In this final module, you will explore what it means to lead with purpose in the sustainability space. You will define your personal leadership style, develop strategies for resilience and adaptability, and learn how to empower others through leadership and mentorship. Through reflection, role-play, and real-world planning, you will build the mindset and momentum to become sustainability change agents.

What's included

3 videos6 readings4 assignments1 discussion prompt

3 videos Total 9 minutes

Influence, Purpose, and Legacy 3 minutes
Thriving Through Resistance 4 minutes
Empowering Others to Lead 3 minutes

6 readings Total 110 minutes

Sustainability Leaders 30 minutes
What We Need from Leaders 3 minutes
Resilience Role-Play 30 minutes
Adaptability and How To Improve It 7 minutes
Build a Mentorship Mindset 30 minutes
Claim Your Digital Badge 10 minutes

4 assignments Total 115 minutes

Activity: Develop Your Sustainability Leadership Statement 30 minutes
Activity: Resilience Role-Play 15 minutes
Activity: Mentorship in Motion 30 minutes
End of Module 4 Assessment 40 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 25 minutes

Leadership Role Model 25 minutes

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Build toward a degree

This course is part of the following degree program(s) offered by University of Colorado Boulder. If you are admitted and enroll, your completed coursework may count toward your degree learning and your progress can transfer with you.¹

Instructor

Christy Bozic, PhD, PMP

University of Colorado Boulder

10 Courses 72,542 learners

Offered by

University of Colorado Boulder

Siemens

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Frequently asked questions

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.