Meet the Transformative Leadership
Program Director

How did you become interested in transformative leadership?

I have always been fascinated by potential, whether in individuals, groups and cultures, and particularly by the potential of interactions to produce something new and innovative. In many ways this comes from my own experience living in many different countries in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, as well as coming to the US in my twenties. Another key aspect for me was my experience as a musician in London in the late 70s and early 80s, particularly leading a band. That experience left me with a lot of ideas, and a lot of questions. It was wonderful, frustrating, inspirational, and so much more. Many of my research interests have flowed from those personal experiences, and the desire to support individuals and groups involved in creative and transformative change. My own research has been in the areas of creativity and complexity. My consulting has focused on the development of executives and high-potential managers. It's perhaps not surprising, therefore, that I've ended up designing a leadership program, particularly since my work has always been motivated by two primary factors: potential and connection.

What does it mean to be a good leader in the 2lst century?

There is an enormous literature about leadership, but there’s little agreement on what leadership is. There are now a plurality of ways of defining and studying leadership. This presents a particularly interesting challenge because it shows the field is both contested and open to new interpretations. The traditional theories of leadership—the heroic, male, decisive figure who takes control and saves the day—have been thoroughly challenged in practice, and in the literature. And the "implicit theories" of leadership—what people think of as “good leadership” without really being consciously aware of it, because of the influence of culture and media and so on—are all proving inadequate. So many people are looking for something different.

This openness provides an opportunity to engage in an ongoing inquiry about the nature of leadership. The program offers an environment where students can create their own understanding and definitions of leadership and to ground them in their individual experiences and capacities. The program invites students to engage in a creative process, facilitating their ability to create themselves as leaders, and to create the kind of change they envision. More than ever, there is an active dialogue about how we may best embody the qualities of leadership in the context of our community, and the world at large.

So in answer to your question, I don’t think there is one specific model or way of being a good leader today. That’s central to today’s challenge. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t good and bad ways to be a leader. There are certain skills and capacities that we feel are essential. In our program we focus on Ways of Relating, Ways of Knowing, Ways of Being, and Ways of Doing. And there are values that inform the kind of leader who comes to CIIS—values that reflect a quest for creativity, a valuing of diversity, the belief that human beings can change and grow and that, in Paul Simon’s words, ‘the thought that life can be better is woven into our hearts and our bones.’

What kind of students—and leaders—are you trying to attract to the Transformative Leadership program?

We are interested in attracting individuals who are passionate, committed, creative, and open-minded. Our students want to be more than just administrators or managers. They are committed to making positive change, to address some of the many of problems—and opportunities—we’re all faced with today. They want to explore new ways of taking the initiative, and new ways to work with like-minded people who are making a contribution to society. Our program offers an opportunity for people who want to make a difference in the world to learn the kinds of skills they'll need, and to explore more deeply their motivations, their vision, their creativity, and their desire to create change. 

What sets the Transformative Leadership program apart from other leadership programs?

Our students tell us that our programs are more than just about going to school and learning fascinating new things: they’re an experience. There’s something unique that happens in the combination of a community of learners who are committed to learning and growing and stretching themselves beyond their expectations. One of the things other that sets this program apart is its explicit focus on personal growth and self-reflection in the context of a collaborative learning community. We draw widely from psychology and the great spiritual traditions. In the first course of the 2-course capstone students integrate material from the previous courses and go through an extensive personal development program that includes feedback from external sources, sophisticated psychological assessments, and the development and articulation of their leadership philosophy and vision for the future. In the second part of the capstone, the Capstone Action project, they do a significant leadership project in the world. We’ve seen them do some incredible things—the variety and excellence of capstone projects has been remarkable. Our approach to leadership is therefore explicitly grounded in the experience of students in their workplace and community and focuses on action in the world. And of course, there's the fact that the program is part of CIIS, which provides students with unparalleled access to leading-edge courses, faculty, resources, and the larger CIIS community.

What specifically will students get out of this program?

Our focus is on creating a context where students can develop their leadership skills and their own capacities as leaders. This includes, among other things, among other things, how to use their creativity to develop a vision for transformation and change and communicate it effectively, to engage in constructive problem-finding and problem-solving, to understand the tremendous creative potential of human diversity, a number of ways to understand organizations and group dynamics, to be sensitive to their own evolution as leaders, to assess their own strengths and weaknesses, and to learn how they themselves can continue to learn, grow, and change. Students tell us that the program has been a transformative experience for them.

What are some of the unique learning approaches used here at CIIS?

Our program is based on a pedagogy that combines intellect and passion, rigor and imagination, theory and practice. We approach learning as an embodied and engaged process. Inquiry in the Transformative Leadership program is focused squarely on the lived experience of the individuals and the community. Every inquiry is also part of an ongoing self-inquiry.

Specifically, the Transformative Leadership curriculum is built on four interconnected dimensions:

1) The extensive body of knowledge on leadership, drawing on a variety of disciplines, which informs students’ own approach to, and practice of leadership;
2) The students' own personal experience and growth as individuals;
3) The community of learners we work with in this program, designed to support and challenge;
4) The site each student chooses to apply his or her learning for example, workplace, community, or neighborhood.

These areas are completely interconnected. The body of knowledge should not be approached as if it were simply a dull repository of what other people have said about leadership. Our personal growth does not occur independently of our engagement in the world. The interaction of these four areas gives us the opportunity to bring all of ourselves to the process of learning.

Pedagogically, we work in many different ways. Some of the courses draw extensively from the arts, using autobiographies, biographies, fiction, and cinema, others are strongly focused on activities both in the classroom and in the world. The virtual classroom is always used as an environment where students are supported and challenged in new ways. Every semester students take a one-unit integrative seminar course where they have the opportunity to reflect on their learning and literally integrate it. Even though all our courses are tightly woven together, the Integrative Seminar is the course that brings it all together.

The Transformative Leadership program is offered totally online. What can you say about online education at CIIS?

CIIS has almost 15 years' experience with graduate online programs. In fact, CIIS was one of the first accredited universities to offer graduate degrees online. With our accumulated experience, we offer students a very intense and lively experience. Sometimes people ask us how online education can be integral, assuming that online education must be a dry, boring process. In fact, the opposite is true. Some of the most intense, heartfelt, passionate classroom exchanges I have ever seen have occurred in the online environment. And the intimacy of the interaction is in many ways far greater than in a traditional classroom setting.

We attract students from all over the world, with rich and varied backgrounds. This adds enormously to the depth of the interactions, and gives us a global perspective. Students learn a lot from each other, and this is a key aspect of our program.

Students and faculty come together twice a year for a week-long “intensive,” where we have presentations, workshops, one-on-one advising, and a lot of community building. These are really very enjoyable events, and give us all the opportunity to spend time together in a convivial environment. They energize us for the upcoming semester and form an integral part of the educational process.

What sorts of career opportunities are available to students with a master's degree in Transformative Leadership?

Since the students in our program come to us from a variety of backgrounds, they are able to apply their leadership in areas ranging from education to community development to spiritual organizations. Some students already work in organizations where they want to effect change. Others explore opportunities in consulting, education, and the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. We have a page with alumni on this website which will give you an idea.

Where do you see the program going in the future?

There are any number of very exciting developments. The first is the new concentration in Partnership Studies. Riane Eisler’s groundbreaking work has influenced many people, and this concentration is designed for people who want to use her work as a broad framework to re-invent leadership and make a contribution to creating a world based on Partnership rather than Domination. Student response to this concentration has been so good that we had to accelerate its implementation—the students were concerned they’d graduate before we started it.

We have another concentration in the works that’s going to focus on the use of expressive arts in leadership and organizational change. This is an enormously exciting area, one that resonates strongly with both faculty and students. It’s really leading edge work, and like the Partnership concentration it’s a big step towards radically shifting the fundamental assumptions and practices of leadership.

We are also working on creating internships, consulting opportunities, and an expanded alumni network. This is a leadership program, and our students want to stay engaged, work for change, and be part of a larger network that combines important new theory with direct applications. The program is growing, and I know there will be more exciting new developments soon.

Transformative Leadership Program
Transformative Studies Program