Program Overview: Are you in academia and wondering about your future? Do you want to realize your own ideas, take on responsibility and aspire to a leadership role?

The Startup:Yourself – Leadership Talent Academy (LTA) helps you to find out whether you are a leader and provides you with valuable qualifications for a future leadership role in science, industry or as an entrepreneur. In workshops and individual coaching sessions, the LTA program focuses on personal strengths, people and leadership skills. We award 20 scholarships supported by the Karl Schlecht Stiftung (KSG). After successful completion, each participant will receive a certificate. 

Setup: The program consists of 3 modules, each lasting 3 days (Friday, 3pm to Sunday, 5pm) over a period of 3 months. In addition to intensive workshops, you are entitled to up to 5 hours of individual coaching sessions with external trainers and coaches and up 3 hours of coaching/consulting with the Startup Center team. The workshop language is English.

Target group: The program is aimed to Early and Mid Career Researchers. Academic members with a master’s degree or higher and alumni of the university (up to 5 years) as well as members of associated institutions (e.g. MPI Tübingen) with leadership potential and an inner drive and passion to make bold changes are invited to submit their application. 

Offsite location: The first and second modules take place offsite, away from your everyday life, so that you can focus solely on your personal journey. Be aware that the scholarships include all costs except a contribution towards the expenses of accommodation.

3 months – 3 modules – 3 days each

There will be one-on-one coaching sessions throughout the program. 

Kickoff at the Startup Center: Wednesday, March 11th 2026

Self-Leadership & Purpose 
Develop a deeper understanding of your personal strengths, values, and intrinsic motivations – whether you envision a career in academia, industry or as an entrepreneur. This module guides you in defining your 
individual purpose as the foundation for good leadership. You will also receive an introduction to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Inner Development Goals (IDGs), exploring how personal growth connects to global responsibility and impact.

People Leadership & Conflict Management
After focusing on self-leadership, this module shifts to leading others – and here, communication is key. Whether as an entrepreneur or as a leading researcher, you have to learn how to build trust within your team and create a culture of collaboration and respect. This module focuses on leading at eye-level, strengthening your interpersonal skills, and helping you navigate team dynamics. You will practice conducting difficult conversations with confidence, as well as giving and receiving constructive feedback to foster healthy and productive teamwork.

Innovation & Leading in times of Change
Productive teamwork is necessary to foster a culture of innovation. You will gain hands-on experience with the design thinking method to quickly develop creative solutions in a volatile and complex world. This session focuses on understanding change and leading with clarity, empathy, and effective communication. You will also explore the difference between fixed and growth mindsets and you will practice shifting from one to another.