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
Show info about module content
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
Finding Your Leverage - Mapping Your Role and Influence
Module 2•5 hours to complete
Module details
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.
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
Navigating Career Pathways in Sustainability
Module 3•6 hours to complete
Module details
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.
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
Leading for Long-Term Impact - Sustaining Change and Empowering Others
Module 4•4 hours to complete
Module details
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.
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
View eligible degrees
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
¹Successful application and enrollment are required. Eligibility requirements apply. Each institution determines the number of credits recognized by completing this content that may count towards degree requirements, considering any existing credits you may have. Click on a specific course for more information.
CU Boulder is a dynamic community of scholars and learners on one of the most spectacular college campuses in the country. As one of 34 U.S. public institutions in the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), we have a proud tradition of academic excellence, with five Nobel laureates and more than 50 members of prestigious academic academies.
Our Xcelerator portfolio ignites digital transformation, empowering companies of all sizes to embrace complexity and leverage it to enhance productivity and gain a competitive advantage.
Welcome to Siemens Digital Industries Software. Your digital future starts now.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
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.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
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.
Is financial aid available?
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.