As the world grapples with systemic challenges such as climate change, inequality and issues of diversity, equity and inclusion, leaders are being called upon to embrace a more humanistic style of management and nurture their social and emotional skills.
A number of executive education programs have stepped into this fray, offering participants the chance to become better corporate citizens. Much of the training will focus on inclusive leadership, exploring unconscious bias as well as creating a sense of belonging for employees. The courses are about how to foster diversity and inclusion through self-reflective exercises, interactive sessions and group work.
Other programs introduce participants to the ‘social sector’, from nonprofits to impact investing, sustainability, social enterprise. All of these courses are about how to promote the health and wellbeing of employees, while also improving the financial performance of the company and making better strategic choices. Ultimately, participants will be looking to make a positive difference in the world.
See the best Executive Courses in Humanistic Leadership below.
The University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business offers the “Humanistic Leadership” series of executive education courses, aimed at helping managers navigate artificial intelligence. USC Marshall has executive courses in mindfulness, inclusive leadership, purpose-driven leadership and how to build “psychologically safe” workplaces.
View School ProfileMichigan Ross has number of executive courses that specialize in how to lead others and how to lead oneself, including the Practicing Positive Leadership course. It consists of weekly live, online sessions spread over several weeks. Participants learn the importance of positive leadership, and how to put it into practice through engagement and empowerment. They leave with an action plan to implement the learning in their workplace.
View School ProfileCambridge Judge in the UK offers the Transformational Leadership course, in which participants are taught how to motivate their employees, handle difficult conversations and promote change in their organizations. In addition, there are group consulting projects on which participants develop the requisite social and emotional skills to steer themselves through the intensive teamwork.
View School ProfileHult International Business School has the Inclusive Leadership: Harnessing the Power of Diversity program where experienced leaders reflect on their development of an inclusive, diverse and equal working culture. The program explores unconscious bias as well as creating a sense of belonging for employees. Participants gain the ability to create trust and psychological safety in teams and become a role-model for inclusive leadership in their organization.
View School ProfileKellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Illinois runs the Step Into Impact program in a live, virtual format over three days. The program introduces participants to the ‘social sector’, from nonprofits to impact investing, sustainability, social enterprise and so on. Participants learn how to apply their professional skills to the social sector, for example career shifts, pro bono work, philanthropy and investment opportunities.
View School ProfileNYU Stern School of Business has the Inclusive Leadership: Addressing Unconscious Bias to Build Stronger, Diverse Teams program, which is designed to help address inequalities in the workplace and give participants the skills to become more impactful leaders. They focus on working across diverse organizations and how to foster diversity and inclusion through self-reflective exercises, interactive sessions and group work.
View School ProfileNew York’s Columbia Business School offers the Leadership in Transformative Times live online course, which runs for 12 days. On this course, participants learn how to promote the health and wellbeing of their employees while also steering the financial performance of the company. They focus on being authentic leaders with agility who can draw out the best in themselves and their teams while making sound strategic choices.
View School ProfileCalifornia’s Stanford Graduate School of Business puts on the Be a Leader Who Matters program on which participants evolve on a personal level, drive change on an organizational level, and make a difference in the world at large. They study societal shifts and global events and are inspired to innovate, challenged to scale their organizations and are motivated to make a difference in the world. The course is delivered in person and online over a few months.
View School ProfileMIT’s Sloan School of Management offers its Leading a Diverse Workforce program in the live online format over three days. Participants develop a clear understanding of the social and psychological challenges to working in diverse teams, and implementing changes that support diversity, equity and inclusion. They learn the policies, practices and systems that move the needle on these issues.
View School ProfileUCLA Anderson School of Management in Los Angeles offers a program entitled Inclusive Leadership: Empowering the Diverse Workforce. Participants learn how to implement an effective culture of inclusion and to show measurable improvement of metrics that drive business success. They will develop skills in workplace dynamics that energize, inspire and unify diverse employees.
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