Lead to Succeed – Coaching that moves you forward — on your own terms
Lead to Succeed
A free 2-month coaching programme for young sustainability advocates in The Hague.
Personal coaching • Mental wellbeing support • Small peer community
Young sustainability advocates often feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unheard — even when your initiative matters deeply.
Lead to Succeed gives you personalised coaching and a community that helps you move forward with clarity and confidence.
Is this for you?
Lead to Succeed is for you if you’re:
18–27 and living in Den Haag Working on a sustainability initiative Focused on influencing decisions or shifting mindsets Creating impact with or without a perfect plan Lacking access to support or coaching Struggling with communication, stress, or overwhelm
You’re building something important — an initiative that pushes for climate justice, drives sustainability forward, or strengthens your community from the ground up. But doing it alone is hard, and the personal toll can be heavy.
Lead to Succeed supports the person behind the change. We offer a mix of intensive group work, tailored individual coaching, and community support to help you develop your unique talents and sustain your social engagement without burning out.
Who is Lead to Succeed for?
Are you trying to create a more liveable, sustainable, or inclusive city? And do you feel isolated, stuck, or overwhelmed by the pressure?
Lead to Succeed is for emerging sustainability advocates and changemakers aged 18–27, living in Den Haag, who are:
- Committing their time to student groups, youth organizations, grassroots collectives, or working independently;
- Facing a high personal toll, working mostly unpaid, and lacking access to formal institutional support or professional coaching;
- Part of Den Haag's diverse, international mix, including local, bicultural, migrant, or refugee youth;
- Focused on systemic advocacy: shifting mindsets, influencing decisions, or activating communities.
You don’t need a flawless project plan; just a genuine drive to make a social impact.
What will I gain?
You’ll leave with real progress on your current practical challenges, a sustainable support network, and a much more resilient mindset.
Depending on your unique goals, you will develop both your internal and external talents:
- Internal Resilience: Master boundary setting, energy management, and emotional regulation to handle pressure and prevent burnout.
- External Influence: Build self-confidence, sharpen your public speaking skills, and learn strategic persuasion to constructively bring institutions and partners on board.
Above all, you will gain a deep sense of belonging alongside peers who truly understand your struggles.
How does it work?
The programme follows a highly participatory, hands-on, and non-academic structure divided into two reinforcing parts:
- The 10-Week Cohort: A close-knit group journey featuring 4 intensive group workshops to take inspiration and learn from peers, and 4 highly personalized 1-on-1 coaching sessions with certified coaches.
- The Advocates’ Circle: A 24/7 online community hub where alumni and future participants continuously share practical tools, exchange feedback, and offer weekly peer support.
How much does it cost?
We work with a voluntary solidarity fee: you can feel free to contribute between €1 and €100 for your participation in the programme, based on what's fair for you.
This contribution is optional and does not in any way affect your selection process. If admitted, you’ll receive all details to freely decide your contribution.
How is this programme different from others?
Most leadership programs focus on corporate entrepreneurship, discovering a passion, or building a scalable business model. Lead to Succeed is built for the realities of voluntary systems change.
Here is what sets us apart:
- The Person Over the Project: We prioritize your mental well-being and resilience, teaching you how to stay healthy while pushing for change.
- Intentionally International: Our working language is English, purposefully uniting local, bicultural, and international youth to build a stronger, more connected city.
Safe & Certified: We operate under strict ethical standards with experienced coaches to guarantee a socially safe environment where you can be entirely vulnerable.
Key details
Next Edition
We are currently preparing our next cycles! Peer learning cohorts and taster sessions will launch in the coming months.
Duration & Setup
An intensive 10-week journey combining 4 interactive group workshops and 4 tailored, individual 1-on-1 coaching sessions.
Location
In-person group sessions are hosted in accessible spaces in Den Haag. Other group sessions and the 1-on-1 coaching sessions take place online.
Costs
Participation is completely free of charge, thanks to our local and regional funding partners.
Admissions
Open to young people aged 18–27 living in Den Haag. We select cohorts of 8 participants based on motivation and alignment with the community’s values.
Want to stay updated?
Sign up for our Advocates Circle, the online space where you’ll join peers and be the first to know when applications open. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us directly at leadtosucceed@advocateswhothrive.com
The story behind the programme
The Lead to Succeed coaching programme wasn’t built overnight. The methodology, 1-on-1 coaching structure, and peer learning exercises were co-developed and tested during a 2-year international project funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme. Together with our amazing European partners Asociación “Eo, Eo”, Liberal Alternative Institute, Roes Cooperativa and Zavod Odprta dlan, we designed a framework to help youth workers empower the next generation of sustainability leaders.
Are you a coach, youth worker, or an organization looking to launch something similar? We believe in sharing what works. You are welcome to download and use the open-source tools we created during this journey:
The Coaching Manual: A 150+ page practical toolbox for anyone looking to coach young changemakers with empathy, structure, and psychological safety.
The Organisational Protocol: Our guide for NGOs and teams on how to design and set up a local coaching programme from scratch for the young people you work with.
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This webpage reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
What you’ll gain
🌱 Clarity on your next steps.
🗣️ Stronger communication with confidence.
🧘 Better boundaries & stress management.
💡 More confidence in your role.
🤝 A supportive cohort that grows with you.
These skills are shaped around your initiative, your needs, and your pace.
How it works
You’ll move through the programme in three parts:
Kickoff Session (Online)
Meet your coach and your small cohort of 5 changemakers. Set your goals and clarify what you want to achieve.
4 Personal Coaching Sessions (online)
One-on-one guidance tailored to your context; your initiative, your pace, your communication, your wellbeing.
Closing Session (Online)
Reflect on your progress, celebrate breakthroughs, and set your next steps with your cohort’s support.
Ready to take the next step in your sustainability journey?
Spaces are limited to keep the group small and supportive.
Sign up for our Advocates Circle, the online space where you’ll join peers and be the first to know when applications open.
Key details
Duration & Setup
An intenstive 10-week journey combining 4 interactive group sessions and 4 tailored, individual 1-on-1 coaching sessions.
Location
In-person group sessions are hosted in accessible spaces in Den Haag. Other group sessions and the 1-on-1 coaching sessions take place online.
Costs
Participation is completely free of charge, thanks to our local and regional funding partners.
Admissions
Open to young people aged 18-27 living in Den Haag. We select participants based on motivation and alignment with the community’s values.
What Our Coachees & Clients say
Kristina
"I really liked how Rob and Asli gave me a supporting and inspring place"
Sun
"Non-formal education can actually save the world. And this type of project make us reflect on how important it is to support each other."
Levi
"I have more confidence in my own abilities to advocate, so let's see if it'll happen. I'm very confident."
Your Coaches
Rob has 10+ years’ experience driving societal change as a consultant and campaigner at the crossroads of public and private sectors. Over the past 5 years, he has trained and coached young changemakers across Europe, often working with marginalized youth. He has supported more than 100 people in turning rough ideas into clear, actionable project plans through tailored coaching, experiential methods, deep listening, and practical planning tools.
Sammy is Coach and Counsellor passionate about the mental wellbeing of the queer community, they finished 2 years specialized program in coaching and counselling. Sammy’s approach is rooted in compassion and self-exploration, walking alongside their clients as they navigate their journey towards clarity and healing.
Aslı is a passionate coach and sustainability master’s student at Erasmus University. With experience at BMW and Heineken, she brings a unique mix of business insight and empathy to her work. Aslı supports young people in finding their voice through non-violent communication and inclusive leadership. Guided by Maya Angelou’s words, “People will never forget how you made them feel,” she creates spaces where others feel truly seen and empowered.