THE ECOLOGY OF LEADERSHIP
​TRANSFORMATION AND SERVICE FROM THE INSIDE OUT

THE GLOBAL CONTEXT & THE CALL TO SERVE IN THE GREAT TURNING

We live in a time of tremendous global change. And, many of us are feeling significant shifts in our personal lives and the communities in which we live and work. As unsustainable eco-social paradigms and systems collapse, we are called to seed and cultivate new visions for our future.
But how do we do that effectively?
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Imagine sitting in a powerful circle of fellow change-makers, speaking your truth and remembering your nature... reconnecting with the living world, your passions and service path, and a feeling of village... cultivating a set of practices to nurture your emerging visions... moving beyond calcified constructs, beliefs, and patterns of the past and into a new era of healing, creativity, peace, joy, wholeness, reverence, love, and collaborative service... for yourself, for your community, and for a thriving planet. 
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Through experiential, nature and community-based leadership development practices, the Ecology of Leadership program blends inquiry and skill development, self-awareness, and deepened nature connection with principles of systems thinking and permaculture. With the support of a powerful and dynamic circle, you will explore leadership from the inside out, envisioning and stepping into the possibilities you hold for your life and your service path.

​The process of cultivating our leadership capacity is an adventure, full of opportunity, challenge and possibility. The Ecology of Leadership gives you the tools to navigate this adventure and bring your leadership forward in the world, supported by a powerful alliance with the natural world and a community of other leaders.

WHAT EMERGES

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You will come out of EOL with a unique collection of skills, practices, frameworks and approaches to improve your well-being and effectiveness as a leader. Topics include visioning, effective communication, project development and stewardship, the ability to create and honor commitments, effective use of time and energy, and coaching skills.  We also cover often-neglected aspects of "inner" leadership, such as cultivating gratitude, balance, ‘inner resilience’, and practices to root and ground our leadership in the heart, in nature, and in collaboration with a community of other leaders.

For many, ecological leadership becomes a new way of thinking and being. Through EOL, you will experience what is naturally yours – an intimate relationship with the natural world. You will learn to source your leadership from this connection and stay attuned to the patterns in your own life, creating a new level of effectiveness and awareness.
On your leadership development journey, you will be supported to:
  • Discover your gifts, passions and the visions you hold for your work in the world, as well as other important aspects of your life
  • Develop new skills and behaviors that are aligned with this vision
  • Create a way of living and leading that moves you toward your dreams for yourself and the world
  • Explore your patterns of belief, behavior and thought and determine which ones serve and which can be released and ‘composted’
  • Receive structured coaching and support from peers and facilitators between workshops
  • Adopt stress-reducing routines that connect you with nature
  • Take on practice assignments that will help cultivate your leadership skills and integrate the skills, mindset, and routines of the course into your daily life
  • Nurture a regional leadership circle that will continue to serve and support you on your leadership journey after the formal component of the program ends

STEPPING INTO YOUR VISION

As EOL unfolds, you will learn to integrate nature awareness, ‘inner gardening’, and leadership skills into your daily life and service path. You will begin to experience leadership as a dynamic process that translates your awareness and insights into effective action toward your goals and making a difference in the world.

Many EOL alumni have taken remarkable strides toward stepping into their vision.

As part of their journey, each leader is invited to identify a project through which to actualize the tools of the program. Here are just a few accomplishments of previous EOL graduates:
  • Starting an organic farm
  • Launching new social change organizations
  • Helping African women have access to education and employment by learning to ride bicycles
  • Taking a long-envisioned walk-about around the world
  • Overcoming the belief that having a family and doing powerful social change work are mutually exclusive
  • Leading efforts for Berkeley to become a Fair-Trade Town
  • Providing medical relief work in conflict and disaster areas
  • Overcoming long-standing fears of public speaking
  • Writing a book
Your project may also focus on more personal or “inner” forms of transformation.  Growth is the work of a lifetime and each person's path is different. Your transformation and project will reflect your own aspirations and callings.