Character & Our Future
Climate, Energy, and 21st Century Leadership
Character & Work
Improvisational Leadership Techniques
Character & the Unknown
Harnessing the Power of the Sacred — and Secular
Character & Well-being
Preventing Burnout and Supporting Total Body Wellness
Character & Inclusion
The Mental Health/Emotional Connection
Character & Community
Overcoming Polarization to Find Peace — and Build Community
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It’s time we had The Talk—The Talk about the big issues in our global community, starting with ways we can tap into our qualities of character to ensure the future of our planet.From government policies to environmental protection strategies to how we harvest and utilize energy, character can help facilitate discourse, establish common ground, and help bring the diverse sides of this highly-charged conversation together. And when those connections happen, we can harness the power of character to drive meaningful, lasting change that serves us and the next generation.
Frank Barrett, PhD
When faced with complexity and constant change at work, the best leaders improvise. They take calculated risks without a scripted plan. They negotiate with each other as they proceed, and they don’t dwell on mistakes or stifle each other’s ideas. They say “yes to the mess”—and mean it. And that empowers us all. In this session, learn what it takes to embrace and leverage improvisation—jazz improvisation, specifically—to make the most of change.Frank Barrett, PhD, is a professor of management at the Naval Postgraduate School, is a member of the doctoral faculty in the School of Leadership Studies at Fielding Graduate University, and is currently a visiting scholar at Harvard Business School. Frank is also an active jazz pianist and author of Yes to the Mess: Surprising Leadership Lessons from Jazz.ean it. And that empowers us all. In this session, learn what it takes to embrace and leverage improvisation—jazz improvisation, specifically—to make the most of change.
Culturally, we’ve generally steered clear of discussing hot-button issues like politics and religion in polite company. And now we are in an environment where those buttons are being pressed all the time to divide and polarize our communities. As a result, we’ve lost some compelling character commonalities that could actually make us all better and happier.In this dynamic session, we’ll explore the qualities of character that are often associated with organized religion—qualities that, truly, have no affiliation. These ethical, moral, and community-based ideas connect everyone from active non-believers to the deeply devout. Discover shared sensibilities, deepen perspectives, and better understand our world and the people who make it worthwhile.
Ahnna Lake, MD
Health starts with a simple idea: pay attention to what your body is telling you – and then believe in that information and discover what it means. It’s a simple idea, but simple doesn’t mean easy. We have become so conditioned to the habit of ignoring small cries for help – I need sleep, I’m feeling weary – and doubling down on the things that make those signs more pronounced: i’ll be fine if I work harder, just go faster and then you can rest…it will all get better next quarter, and next quarter…But what if we could listen intently, respect what our bodies are telling us, and find a way to navigate using our stresses and strengths more beneficially? This session will explore how we can recover from burnout – and prevent it from happening again.Ahnna Lake, MD is a graduate of McGill University Medical School in Montreal, Canada. She is a Certificant of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and holds a Master of Science degree in Medical Anthropology from the Université de Montréal. Dr. Lake has 30 years experience helping people prevent and overcome illness through lifestyle changes. It is her passion to help people help themselves to optimal health.
Character is taking risks to access your implicit and biases and having courage to work with those biases and improve relationships of all types. Kate Lingren leads a rich conversation about how we can be more aware of our own perspectives while including those of others and communicating with compassion.
Toufic M. Hakim, Ph.D.
People are critical to our well-being. Every relationship anchors us, whether it’s to our workplace, our community, our family or even our country—and the stronger those relationships, the more connected we feel and the less strife, discord, and conflict we experience.In this powerful session, we’ll unpack personal, professional, and global community-building, and how character can service as the ultimate foundation for change and connection.Toufic M. Hakim, Ph.D., is Senior Managing Principal of Group i&i Consultancy, a firm dedicated to developing organizational capacity. His former contributions were in the domain of higher education, where he served as Professor of Physics and Engineering, Assistant to the President, and Senior Research and Grants Officer. Toufic is currently Executive Director of the Foundation for Self Leadership. He is to be fascinated with systems and interactions, intrigued by language and imagery, and deeply committed to peacemaking.