admissions@isdl-global.com
ISDL — International School of Disruptive Leadership
Apply now

Twelve weeks to practise responsible disruption.

Delivered online to a cohort, in three four-week modules. Expect around five to seven hours of study each week.
ApplyHow it works

Duration

12 weeks

Structure

3 modules × 4 weekly units

Delivery

Online, cohort-based; weekly release

Weekly commitment

Approx. 5–7 hours

Learning outcomes

By the end of the programme, you will be able to:

  • Distinguish leadership as an activity from formal authority, and analyse sources of legitimacy.
  • Critique heroic and simplistic leadership narratives using evidence about collective and contextual factors.
  • Map power, stakeholders and systems — including feedback loops, incentives and institutional friction.
  • Plan and conduct constructive dissent and build coalitions for change.
  • Design small, ethical experiments with clear hypotheses, measures, and stop criteria.
  • Produce a Responsible Disruption Proposal that integrates analysis, ethics, experimentation and measurement.

Curriculum

Three modules, twelve weekly units.

The outline below is public. Full learning materials are available to enrolled learners in the learner portal.

Weeks 1–4

Module 1: Unlearning Leadership

Intended shift: From accepting inherited models to questioning them critically.

  1. W1What Leadership Is For: Beyond Titles and AuthorityWhat makes leadership legitimate and useful?Personal leadership assumptions map
  2. W2The Myths We Inherit: Heroic Leaders and Simple AnswersWhich leadership stories hide complexity or collective effort?Critique of a leadership myth
  3. W3Power, Voice, and the Right to ChallengeWho can question a decision, and at what cost?Power and stakeholder map
  4. W4Ethics of Disruption: Change Without RecklessnessHow can change be courageous and responsible?Ethical impact check

Weeks 5–8

Module 2: Reading and Challenging Systems

Intended shift: From seeing isolated problems to understanding systems and leverage points.

  1. W5Seeing Systems: Causes, Feedback Loops, and IncentivesWhat keeps the problem in place?Basic system map
  2. W6Culture, Institutions, and Organisational InertiaWhy do ineffective practices persist?Institutional friction analysis
  3. W7Constructive Dissent and Productive ConflictHow do we challenge without humiliating or polarising?Dissent conversation plan
  4. W8Coalitions, Influence, and Collective AgencyWho must participate for change to hold?Coalition and influence map

Weeks 9–12

Module 3: Designing Responsible Disruption

Intended shift: From critique to responsible, testable action and sustained change.

  1. W9Designing Small ExperimentsWhat can be tested safely before scaling?Experiment hypothesis and test plan
  2. W10Leading Through Resistance and UncertaintyHow should leaders respond when evidence is incomplete?Resistance response plan
  3. W11Measuring Change and Avoiding Unintended HarmWhat would count as meaningful progress?Outcome indicators and risk review
  4. W12Capstone: A Responsible Disruption ProposalWhat will I change, with whom, and how will I learn?Capstone proposal and personal reflection

The weekly learning cycle

Six steps each week.

  1. 1Lecture. A 6–12 minute narrated lesson with captions and full transcript.
  2. 2Reading. A structured reading with key concepts, competing perspectives and a case.
  3. 3Knowledge check. Five to eight questions with explanatory feedback.
  4. 4Reflection. Prompts connecting concepts to your own context.
  5. 5Applied task. A practical map, plan, analysis or experiment design.
  6. 6Feedback. Rubric-based feedback on applied work and the capstone.

Capstone

A Responsible Disruption Proposal.

In Week 12 you submit a 1,800–2,500 word proposal to challenge and redesign something that no longer serves people in your organisation or community — with a systems analysis, stakeholder and power analysis, ethical impact check, a first experiment, a coalition strategy, and a measurement and risk plan — together with a personal reflection. It is assessed against a published rubric by ISDL reviewers.

Assessment types

Weekly knowledge checks (auto-scored with explanations), weekly applied tasks (formative feedback), and the capstone (rubric-assessed). Any AI-assisted feedback is labelled and never determines a result.

Completion

What you need to complete the programme.

  • Complete all 12 weekly units.
  • Pass each required knowledge check at 70% or above (multiple attempts allowed).
  • Submit the capstone proposal.
  • Meet the academic integrity policy.

Any exception must be approved by the programme administrator and is logged.

Credential

Certificate of Completion.

Learners who meet all completion requirements receive an ISDL Certificate of Completion with a unique number and online verification page.

What the certificate is not

The ISDL certificate is not an academic degree, an accredited qualification, or a professional licence. Read the credential disclaimer.

Technology and access

Designed to work on modest connections and devices.

Technical requirements

A current web browser on a laptop, tablet or phone and an internet connection that can stream audio. Every lesson has a full transcript for low-bandwidth study.

Accessibility supports

Captions and transcripts, keyboard navigation, screen-reader semantics, reduced-motion support and quizzes that never rely on colour or drag-and-drop.

Reasonable accommodations

Tell us what would help in your application or at any time via the contact form. You do not need to share a diagnosis.