The Art of Leading
Leadership is a lifetime work endeavor and not a quick fix that can be learned from books or imitating others. I give you practical tools that you can apply and will make you a more effective and caring leader.
By applying the tools and philosophy of the courses, you will be a more successful and effective leader.
There are five (5) courses as part of The Art of Leading:
Innovative Leader Course
What do Google, Pixar, Disney, and Apple have in common?
Besides being great companies, those companies are recognized for their creativity and innovation. The pioneer of Design Thinking, IDEO, is behind many of these success stories. IDEO has collaborated with many of the well-known Silicon Valley companies. David Kelley, founder of IDEO, together with faculty from Stanford University created the Institute of Design where they introduced their methodology to the public.
The purpose of this course is to learn how to enhance our creative potential, through theory and application, so that we can develop novel solutions to complex problems. My colleague Prof. Maria Puyuelo and I designed this course using the Design Thinking framework developed by IDEO that includes 5 steps:
We are all DESIGNERS!
Charismatic Leader Course
This course was developed together with my colleague's Profs. Sebastian Schuh and Maria Puyuelo. We use acting techniques to develop charisma. During it we offer a wide range of exercises and tools that will help you to express your best and authentic selves – by cultivating self-awareness, body language, and voice, by being more convincing, and being able to better relate to others. For this course, we draw on insights from psychology and communication science and on methods from acting and theatre. We will take a practical approach.
The course is built around two frameworks. In part 1, we will discuss the instruments of effective leadership – body language, voice, and presence.
In part 2, we will focus on leadership performance – connecting with others, overcoming obstacles, and being convincing.
Change Leader Course
Leading change is probably the hardest job for a leader. In this two-day course, we will explore the different parts of a framework I developed. The foundation includes understanding the environment and understanding the organization. Based on a deep knowledge of those two sources of change, the change leader develops the vision that communicates to the organization. Finally, change has an impact on people. Very often, change plans fail during the implantation where people is critical.
Leading Self & Others Course
Designed for practicing managers, this course focuses on the very practical understanding and application of leadership principles. The basic message followed in this course is that leadership is a 360 Degree activity.
The course starts with the self. The starting point in the leadership journey is the idea that one cannot lead others if one cannot lead oneself. Self-knowledge is the basic block of leadership.
We then explore leadership in three directions: downwards (subordinates), upwards (boss), and horizontally (peers). The usual practice of leadership courses is to focus on leadership downwards, that is, leading subordinates. However, leadership must also be exercised with peers and boss(es).
We will explore models of influencing peers and creating political capital. Regarding the boss, we will explore ways to influence our bosses and create a win-win situation for both, you, and your boss.
Mindful Leader Course
This course will help you to see the automatic pilot at work and encourages you to explore what happens when you “wake up.” Central to this session is a breath meditation that stabilizes the mind and helps you to see what unfolds when you focus your full awareness on just one thing at a time. Although this practice is very simple, it provides the essential foundation for a better living.
I received my training at the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Boston. I also completed the training program at Oxford University, delivered at the Oxford Mindfulness Center. I am also certified in Positive Psychology by Tal Ben Shahar, former Prof. at Harvard University. Finally, I completed a Master of Psychology by Harvard University.
