The Leader’s Series

The Leader’s Series:

Exceptional Leadership For Extraordinary Times

The Leaders series is made up of six modules that are specifically linked and designed to build on each other in a thought-provoking and powerful way. It is run over 14 days in total over a period of six months, with the potential for add-on, tailor-made modules that help to create a context for on-going learning, best leadership practice, mentoring, coaching and a culture of helping.

The individual sessions promote deep insight into the various dimensions of the human being and what is possible in working with others. Delegates explore the fine art of leadership in a personal, team and organisational context and experiment with a host of top-drawer tools and processes to make their lives and jobs easier.

The series results in a profound change in perspective and offers a potent frame of possibility from which we can choose to operate. Various methods are used including interactive presentation and conversation, inspirational DVD material and individual and group experiential activities.

This programme is for those who are committed to making a difference and who wish to establish new pathways for meaningful, effective leadership.

Module 1 – Spiritual  orientation and self management:

Leadership is a fine art. We will explore what it takes to engage more fully with the inner place from which we operate. The world is looking for quality leaders, those who are genuinely committed to doing the work of personal transformation and living out of their core values and practices. A true leader knows that he or she is a steward of our future and is committed to bridging the gap between the theory of being an authentic and outstanding example to others and the day-to-day practice of inspiring leadership.

  • The inner place from where we operate
  • Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation
  • Leadership practice and disciplines
  • Self referential vs. field responsive function
  • Spiritual and emotional intelligence
  • The work of transformation
  • Managing personal energy
  • Embracing  possibility

Module 2 – Choices, decisions and working with cycles:

A single choice has the power to impact our personal and work lives positively, or to catapult us into complexity and chaos. Inherent in every choice is the force of creation. Sometimes a choice sets a lengthy cycle in motion that has to run its course, even if we realise that the choice wasn’t a good one.

Given the global climate in which we find ourselves, it is clear we are in the midst of increasingly unpredictable and confusing times. It is crucial to discover and understand what the new maps and frameworks are to assist us in making more informed and accurate choices.

  • A thorough exploration of the impact of our choices
  • Unfolding creative process
  • Understanding the different stages of change
  • Working with personal and organisational change
  • The role of intuition and developing our instinctual nature
  • Working with cycles and the rhythm of change
  • Checking points for staying on track
  • New maps for navigating increasingly complex times

Module 3 – Working with emergence: leading from the future:

As humanity moves into unprecedented levels of change and complexity, we can nevertheless sense the seeds of a higher order and intelligence at work. Learning to operate with emergence and process, we tap into this self-organising context and discover important perspectives and useful pointers for stewarding the future.

  • Tapping into nature’s intelligence
  • Seeing holistically
  • Unfolding dynamic process
  • Wholes and parts
  • Being an artist of the invisible
  • Balancing your intuitive edge with cognition
  • The organising context

Module 4 – Theory U tools and processes and the work of presencing:

Theory U and the Art of Presencing is a groundbreaking body of work based on 10 years of research and action learning by Dr Otto Scharmer. It is a methodology and framework that develops and explores new territory for pursuing personal and institutional change and practising transformational leadership. The principles and practice allow literally everyone to participate fully in creating and bringing forth the future that is seeking to emerge.

This approach synthesises leading-edge thinking, first-hand knowledge and ancient wisdom to explore the living fields that connect us to one another. Seven capacities underlie our ability to see, sense and realise new possibilities. Developing these capacities accesses a deeper level of learning that is the key to creating change that serves the whole.

  • Theory U and the practice of presencing
  • Four levels of listening
  • Co-initiating, co-sensing, co-presencing, co-creating, co-evolving
  • Stakeholder interviews
  • Sensing journeys
  • Shadowing practice
  • Crystallising intention and prototyping

Module 5 – Communication and working with others:

Conversation and listening are the most underutilised and powerful tools we have at our fingertips to influence and inspire change and literally turn things around. We are all involved in relationships. We have a relationship with ourselves, with our family, with our work colleagues and each other. Everything that we know and understand about ourselves, we understand in a context of relationship. For this reason all relationships are significant and important. And somewhere within the deepest reaches of our heart and soul, we know it. This is why we yearn for relationships of meaning. When things aren’t going well we realise how much is at stake. It is vital to discover how to work more effectively with those we engage with on a day-to-day basis.

  • Keys to mastering conversations
  • Managing our listening and other peoples listening
  • Creating a conducive space for thinking together
  • A closer look at assumptions, perceptions and our interpretations
  • Creating the right environment for safe conversations
  • Handling difficult conversations
  • Tips and processes for managing team dynamics
  • Conducting a dialogue
  • Atmosphere and invisible ranges of communication

Module 6 – Leadership, purpose and influence:

Each of  us must recognise that we are both leader and follower and while there will always be those who inspire us and whom we look to, it is also true that there will be many who  look to us. It is important to understanding the differences between manager/leader, facilitator/collaborator and servant/partner.

The true foundation of leadership is not power, but genuine authority born out of the deliberate practice of transformative disciplines and assisting others to discover their true potential and highest future possibility in living a purposeful life.

  • Personal significance and influence
  • Exploring definitions of leadership
  • The role of leadership and management
  • Leadership models and styles
  • Transactional and transformational leadership
  • Facilitative tips and processes to make easy
  • Developing leadership in others
  • Inspiration and destiny

Module 7 – World trends and our role in influencing the future:

In this module we take a look into the amazing and surprising future that is closing in on us fast. We will explore and make sense of the new world that we find ourselves  living in. It is important to discover what our unique role and work is in this in this new day and how we can add value and provide a stabilising influence, inner strength and encouraging perspective to those around us.

  • The new economy
  • Current global trends
  • The workforce of the future
  • Tomorrow’s climate and its impact
  • The future of the individual
  • Globalisation – cultures in collision
  • Renewable energy resources

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