ONLINE COURSE

Created in collaboration with

Understanding ourselves and the world:
How our minds work and the systems we shape

The world is changing in ways that affect us all — at work, in society, and in everyday life. Many of us try to keep up, but it’s not always easy to understand why things turn out the way they do.

In this course, Erik Fernholm shares new perspectives on how the human mind works and how our everyday choices shape the bigger systems we live in. You will learn what science says about why we sometimes repeat the same patterns, even when we want things to change — and what helps us move forward in a wiser and more sustainable way.

The course was first developed together with IKEA as part of their global leadership program. It has helped leaders across the world understand people, behavior, and change in a deeper way.

Most importantly, you’ll get a better understanding of yourself and how the brain influences our actions. Through science-based insights and simple, practical exercises, you’ll begin to shift old habits, open new perspectives, and see how small inner changes can lead to meaningful transformation in your life and work.

Course Format

  • Video lectures with Erik Fernholm: Scientific insights and the bigger picture

  • Downloadable summaries: Key ideas to reflect on and return to

  • Practical exercises and guided reflections: Tools to apply the learning in daily life and work

Erik Fernholm is one of the leading voices on human behavior, inner development, and change. For more than fifteen years, he has worked with leaders, teams, and communities to build the human capacities needed to navigate today’s world.

With a background in cognitive neuroscience and happiness research, Erik connects science with everyday life. His work makes it easier to see how our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors shape the systems we are all part of.

He is known for turning complex ideas into something anyone can relate to. Over the years, he has collaborated with governments, philanthropists, and some of the world’s most influential companies — always with the same purpose: to help people see themselves and the world with greater understanding.

Erik is the co-founder of 29k Foundation and Aware, initiator of the Inner Development Goals, and chair of the Ekskäret Foundation. Across everything he does runs a simple idea: lasting change in the world begins with a shift within ourselves.

About Erik Fernholm

  1. Understanding the world we live in
    Get a clearer picture of the big changes shaping our time. Learn how our human behavior, habits, and ways of thinking have created many of today’s challenges, and what it takes to change the direction we’re heading in.

  2. How the brain shapes our choices
    Discover what science says about how the brain really works in daily life. You’ll see how instinctive reactions influence our decisions — and learn simple, practical ways to build new habits and respond more thoughtfully in moments that matter.

  3. The impact of small steps
    Change doesn’t have to be dramatic. Small adjustments, repeated over time, can make a big difference. You’ll explore how steady progress — even tiny shifts in mindset or routine — can lead to lasting improvements in how you think, lead, and live.

  4. Tools for everyday challenges
    Get hands-on tools that help you handle uncertainty and change — at work and in life. Through short reflections and practical exercises, you’ll learn how to approach challenges with more understanding and confidence.

  5. Growing together
    Personal growth isn’t just about self-improvement — it’s also about what we create together. This course helps you see your role in the bigger picture and invites you to contribute to a world built on care, collaboration, and long-term thinking.

Five key takeaways from the course:

Course access coming soon