Bridging Philosophy and Management to Reinspire the Future of Work

Leaders for humanity masterclass

Are you a business leader, student, consultant, or curious individual eager to discover the transformative potential of philosophy in management? Join us on an exploratory journey to unravel how we can become the conscious, courageous and caring leaders humanity needs.

In this 6-month masterclass, gain access to all of our interviews and exclusive early episode releases - as well as additional new content - all at your own pace. Engage with fellow participants through a virtual Google classroom to share insights and discuss topics based on short weekly learning suggestions. Enjoy monthly Q&A and dialogue sessions—all free as part of the inaugural prototype.

This adventure is your chance not only to explore the wisdom of some of the greatest minds across philosophy, psychology and management, but also to connect with like-minded individuals who share a passion for responsible leadership and transformation, inviting you to reexamine your role in business and the legacy you aim to leave behind. 

May you discover as much joy and insight in these discussions as we have, and may it propel your personal odyssey of learning for the greater good!

Jump to





Stay Informed: What's Buzzing in Our Course? Explore the Latest From Our Learning Community!

Course Updates

✿ Hurrah! The masterclass prototype is now available online!


By: Otti / Posted: Nov 20,2023

Website Updates

✿ The registration module is about to go live


By: Otti / Posted: Nov 202023

Community news

✿ Please share with us any questions, comments, feedback you might have!

✿ Just send an email to: silvio@leadershipsociety.world 


By: Silvio / Posted: Nov 20,2023




LEADERS FOR HUMANITY MASTERCLASS

A global initiative for good leaders

Today, many organisations are at a crossroads: for decades, modern capitalism has obsessed with maximizing efficiency, growth and share prices – at the cost of human development, social and societal responsibility and our natural environment. Businesses and their leaders are now among the least trusted “institutions” in society and our narrow way of “thinking business” is increasingly jeopardizing our capacity to flourish on this planet.

At the same time, organisations depend more than ever on inspired, engaged and competent employees in order to increase their agility and remain viable in fast-moving global markets. Yet, many - especially younger - colleagues are no longer willing to submit themselves to heartless “suffering machines” that recklessly deplete systemic aliveness and ignore their shared accountability for humanity.

Hence, as leaders, we must make a choice: either we continue as before, crushing human and organisational potential – or we courageously seek to “re-think” the way we do business. But how? It is easy to be hopeless or cynical…

Fortunately, we have found many wise thinkers suggesting that a different “way” of doing business is possible. That’s why we want to invite you on an adventurous journey to go "back to the roots" and examine how we can craft “good organisations” in the 21st century - combining values and agility, societal responsibility and commercial viability at scale. Our objective is create a ripple of hopeful inspiration - for all those leaders who choose to reinvent their companies for the “good life of all”… 


In a nutshell

What's It All About?
Our world is complex and in need of thoughtful responses, demanding that leaders enhance their understanding of philosophy, economics, management and psychology. We must step into our civic and human responsibility, beyond simple profit maximization. This unique course promises a transformative journey, empowering inquisitive leaders to redefine their perception of organizations and leadership, and examine their own role in shaping a better economy. Over the course, participants will embark on a quest to review our leaders for humanity interviews, going deeper and broader in their examination. Their mission: to uncover how to make wiser choices and take more responsible actions in their daily lives and future careers.

Who is it for?

Admittedly, this course will not be for the faint of heart. Like any voyage into uncharted territory, the initial steps must be intimidating and discouraging for many. As Andre' Comte-Sponville, the French philosopher, eloquently stated: philosophy is an arduous task, requiring effort, study, and the use of appropriate tools. To philosophize is to think critically and act responsibly within context, whilst drawing on the wisdom of both past and contemporary thinkers. But fear not! Once you have mastered the sometimes arcane and esoteric vocabulary of philosophy, the rewards can be profound! It enables you to challenge prevailing norms and theories, and to use transdisciplinary dialectics to bring forth the best of humanity within our economy.

What is needed?

The course offers a flexible learning journey, drawing from Leaders for Humanity interviews and core concepts in philosophy, economics, management, and leadership. Participants are encouraged to tailor their learning paths, choosing topics of personal interest and progressing at their own pace. However, active engagement is essential, requiring participants to interact with suggested content and peers on the shared platform at least weekly. The success of the course relies on the diverse perspectives, reflections, and insights contributed by the community, emphasizing authenticity, active listening, and open communication for fostering collective learning.





the learning journey

A Quest for Wisdom: Five Stops, Deep Immersions, and Reflective Moments

Learning Goals

The program aims at three principle goals: (1) to develop executive leadership capacities of participants; (2) to inspire participants to experiment with new ways of working; and (3) to co-create individual and collective learnings through shared reflection.

Key Learning Outcomes

Practical Wisdom:
  • Deeper understanding of ethical theories and increased ability and confidence to effectively judge complex management situations in the presence of uncertainty
  • Increased ethical efficacy and “political” stakeholder management competences
Leadership Virtues:
  • Virtue literacy and ability to habitually enact core virtues in daily leadership context
Technical Skills: deeper understanding and practice of innovative management principles and routines

Reflection:
higher capacity for contemplation and introspection; ability to understand own and others core assumptions and to inspect "functional stupidity" of members in the system

Course Format

  • Weekly exploration sheet to prepare for interview session (background information, learning goals, core concepts, references)
  • Weekly spotlight interview (60-120 minutes) - shared revision optional
  • Weekly suggestions for deep dives and further exploration

  • Quarterly Q&A session with faculty to clarify concepts and discuss insights and learnings
  • Google Classroom for ongoing sense-making and discussion


A Quest for Wisdom: Five Stops, Deep Immersions, and Reflective Moments

Journey Map


LEADERS FOR HUMANITY MASTERCLASS

After having familiarised ourselves with the "Good Organisation" manifesto, we embark on a transformative learning journey, combining best practice in transformation management with critical insights from philosophy, psychology, sociology and management science. our goal is to explore how to inspire, identify and implement good work, and how to become good leaders ourselves.

PHILOSOPHY

We begin by 

ECONOMICS

In this phase we focus on  

MANAGEMENT

Moving on, we assess t 

LEADERSHIP

In this final sprint, w 

GOOD ORGANISATION

To culminate your journey,  




SCHEDULE

A Quest for Wisdom: Five Stops, Deep Immersions, and Reflective Moments

Next YouTube Premiere in...

12
Days
:
01
Hours
:
52
Minutes
:
52
Seconds



REGISTRATION

Your Course Creators

COURSE REGISTRATION


A Prototype
We have created this prototype for the good of all. Our intention is to support “good leaders” – wherever they are - to become their very best; and to equip them with the necessary insights and experiences to contribute to a hopeful future for all of us. In our quest “for good” we have been carried forward by the thoughts and conversations of many friends and colleagues. Our thanks go to all of you, wholeheartedly - you know who you are! We wish all participants of this course much good and joy on your personal leadership journey, Antoinette and Otti 


Please fill in our short registration form to gain access to the 

full classroom and subscribe to the regular learning newsletter




organisation and contacts

Your Course Creators

Antoinette Weibel

President at the Institute for Work and Employment Research University of St. Gallen, Professor for HRM and Organization Transformation, Former President of FINT (International Network of Trust Researchers), Executive Board Member of the Swiss Academy of Social Sciences and the Humanities. Passionate researcher and teacher in the fields of trust within and across organizations and hr/org practices leading to human thriving.

A REBELLIOUS PROFESSOR & A BUSINESS INSURGENT

We are both passionate about developing organisations that are good for the people inside them, as well as good for the wider ecosystem. In our respective professional life we have tried to make a positive difference for several decades, and we feel it is time to bring together lessons learned - across academia and business, and across disciplines like philosophy, psychology, management science, sociology, anthropology, neuroscience. Our aim is to enable a global dialogue about how to craft good organisations and create a movement for positive change, to build back better.

Otti Vogt

Disruptive thinker, amateur poet, unacknowledged internet entrepreneur and passionate global C-level transformation leader with over 20 years of experience in implementing strategic business change in multi-cultural, complex organisations and in building global high performing teams to deliver sustainable shareholder value and happiness@work

Our Research Team

Image Description
Silvio Christoffel

Good Organisations & Metrics

Identifying and strengthening good organizations is necessary to master the pressing challenges of our time.


LinkedIn
Image Description
Sara Fontanet

Ethical Leadership

Together we are stronger. The time has come to gather and reflect on how we can bring "goodness" in individuals, organisations and society as whole.


LinkedIn

Getting in touch

INSTITUTE OF WORK AT UNI ST. GALLEN Institute for Work and Employment Research University of St. Gallen