Fit for the Future: Sharing Real Stories to Inspire Inclusive Leadership
New phase of the project focuses on case studies and interviews with women leaders driving meaningful change
Introduction
The Fit for the Future project is entering an inspiring new phase. As we continue working toward minimizing gender, cultural, and intersectional discrimination in vocational and educational environments, we are now focusing on documenting powerful, real-world examples of inclusive change. This includes the collection of case studies and good practices, as well as preparing for a series of interviews with women in leadership positions across Europe. These activities capture the lived experience of change, making it accessible, relatable, and actionable for those who want to build more inclusive spaces.
At the core of Fit for the Future there is a commitment to reimagining how leadership, diversity, and inclusion can coexist in a dynamic, mutually reinforcing way. Supported by a consortium of eight partners from seven countries—France, Spain, Cyprus, Italy, Greece, Portugal, and Germany—the project is funded by the Erasmus+ programme and aims to equip educators, team leaders, HR professionals, and future managers with tools to challenge bias and drive sustainable change.
This new stage of the project focuses on two interconnected activity components. First, we are collecting case studies and identifying good practices that exemplify how organisations across Europe are addressing bias and embedding regenerative leadership into their structures. Second, we are preparing to conduct semi-structured interviews with women in leadership positions who are driving this kind of change within their workplaces or communities.
Why case studies and good practices matter
There is a distinct and purposeful difference between a case study and a good practice, and both are essential to our approach.
Case studies are designed to offer a deeper, narrative-driven look into how a particular organisation is tackling inclusion-related challenges. They are contextual and analytical, exploring the setting, the biases at play, the actions taken, and the results achieved. They also shine a light on the difficulties encountered along the way, offering an honest and reflective view of what it takes to lead transformative change. For instance, a case study might explore how a company redesigned its recruitment process to eliminate gender bias, or how a vocational centre created new pathways for students from underrepresented backgrounds.
Good practices, on the other hand, are distilled pieces of practical advice—like an instruction manual for change. While they often emerge from case studies, they stand on their own as transferable actions that can be adapted to other contexts. A good practice might focus on a specific initiative, such as inclusive mentoring programmes, regular bias audits, or community partnerships that foster intercultural understanding. Their value lies in their simplicity and clarity: “This worked here, and here’s how you can try it too.”
These examples are being collected using a shared methodology across the partnership, supported by a template that captures key information including sector, organisational size, type of bias addressed, and the innovation and replicability of the practice. The most representative examples will be selected to be featured in the project’s open-access platform and future training resources.
Interviews: Giving voice to women in leadership
Perhaps the most personal and moving part of this phase is the preparation of interviews with women in leadership roles. These interviews are designed not only to highlight professional achievements but to explore how individual women experience leadership, navigate bias, and shape organisational culture. The women selected for these interviews come from diverse sectors, including education, business, civil society, and public service. What they share is a commitment to promoting more inclusive environments. Their stories will bring abstract concepts to life, showing how leadership can be rooted in empathy, equity, and systemic awareness.
The interviews will follow a semi-structured format, allowing for both consistency and flexibility. Questions will explore topics such as leadership style, personal values, key turning points, and how they have worked to challenge bias, intentionally or otherwise. The result will be a collection of personal narratives that show the human side of inclusive leadership, complemented by brief bios, photos, and summaries to ensure accessibility and outreach.
Importantly, we are exploring innovative ways to share these stories with wider audiences. Rather than publishing transcripts, partners are discussing the creation of short-form video clips. Audio summaries or podcast-style episodes are also being considered, especially for audiences who prefer to engage with content on the go. The aim is to share these stories in ways that resonate—with honesty, dignity, and emotional impact.
Why this matters now
This new phase could not be at a better time. Across Europe and beyond, organisations continue to struggle with the persistent effects of bias—whether it’s unconscious, systemic, or overt. And while there is growing recognition of the value of diverse leadership, the path to equity is often uneven and unclear.
By focusing on real-life stories and replicable actions, Fit for the Future bridges the gap between policy and practice. We aren’t just promoting abstract ideals of inclusion—we are showing how it’s done, and by whom. And we’re doing so in a way that values both institutional strategy and personal courage.
For those working in VET systems, SMEs, NGOs, public institutions, and beyond, the tools and stories being developed through this project will serve as a resource and a source of inspiration. They can help team leaders navigate their challenges, guide teachers in creating more inclusive classrooms, and empower future managers to take a stand against discrimination.
Conclusion:
The Fit for the Future project is more than a programme or a set of deliverables—it is a collective effort to imagine and create better ways of working, learning, and leading. Through our focus on case studies, good practices, and interviews with women leaders, we are making inclusion tangible and visible.
This work will inform the project’s next outputs, from the development of a digital self-assessment tool to upcoming international webinars and training materials. But more than that, it will build a shared narrative of what inclusive, regenerative leadership can look like across different settings.
We invite you to follow our journey and engage with the stories we will soon share.
Visit fit4thefuture.eu to learn more and follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook for updates.
