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“Here is the deal: learning to be a leader is virtually the same process as becoming an integrated and healthy person… .What that means is that when we talk about ‘growing leaders’ we’re inevitably involved in personal stuff, personal transformation.” — Warren Bennis, noted author, Distinguished Professor of Business Administration at the University of Southern California, and chairman of Advisory Council of the Center for Public Leadership (John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University) The Center for Public Leadership (CPL) at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government believes that principled public leadership is essential to the common good. The graduate students at the Kennedy School are dedicated to making the world a better place. CPL is committed to making these future leaders more effective. Through extensive leadership research and education, CPL creates unique opportunities for reflection and discovery for students, scholars, and practitioners from different disciplines, cultures, and nations. CPL promotes a dynamic exchange of ideas and offers innovative programs like “Know Thyself” and “Know Thy Team,” where the personal development of the leader is seen as being intrinsically linked to future leadership success. If you sense that leadership development is important work, you are not alone. A recent survey, “National Leadership Index 2005: A National Study of Confidence in Leadership1,” created by CPL and U.S. News & World Report, revealed sobering results:
(To download CPL’s National Leadership Index, go to www.ksg.harvard.edu/leadership/nli.) This past spring, the Hoffman Institute was invited to contribute to the CPL’s innovative leadership program by offering graduate fellows an opportunity to participate in the Hoffman’s Leadership Path. In this pilot co-curriculum, 39 Harvard graduate students participated in the eight-day Hoffman Process, followed by five Leadership Coaching sessions with their Hoffman teachers. The Leadership Path is designed for leaders who understand the necessity of transforming unproductive modes of thought and behavior into personal and professional excellence. It has been said that leadership cannot be taught, but it can be learned. The Leadership Path is designed to move participants into the heart and soul of their intrinsic leadership capabilities where this precious self knowledge becomes accessible. Those who participated in the Hoffman program represented a broad cross-section of KSG’s student population along with others from the schools of Education and Business. Professionally, they included diplomats, politicians, lawyers, U.N. peacekeepers, directors of international agencies, educators, bank directors, and more. Participants came from 15 countries, including Asia, North and South America, Europe and Africa; they represented many races and five major religions and they ranged in age from 25 to 60 years old, with men and women equally represented. The CPL/Hoffman Institute relationship began when Betsy Myers, CPL’s Executive Director and a 2003 Process graduate, met Hoffman president Raz Ingrasci in February 2005. After several conversations exploring how Hoffman might contribute to the CPL program, a Hoffman group was formed consisting of Raz Ingrasci, Anne Simon-Wolf (Dean of Faculty), Linda Ruffin (Hoffman teacher/ business consultant), and Hoffman Institute Foundation board member Steve Belkin, who is a highly successful Boston-based businessman and a trustee of the Harvard Business School. The Leadership Path is designed to move participants into the heart and soul of their intrinsic leadership capabilities where this precious self knowledge becomes accessible. The team met for a day in May 2005 with key people at the Kennedy School, including CPL Director David Gergen. The presentation and follow up meetings resulted in an invitation to offer the Process to graduate fellows during Spring Break 2006. The program was presented March 23rd–31st at the Trinity Conference Center in Connecticut. “At CPL we are engaged in discovering how leadership is learned, including people learning about themselves.“ said Betsy Myers. To become an effective leader we find that people must engage in personal questions like ‘Who am I?’ ‘What should I be doing?’ and ‘How do I get others to follow me?’ Answering these questions involves deep self-inquiry. Leadership is an ‘inside-out’ job – born not just from the intellect, but from a strong, authentic sense of self in action.”
Steve Belkin and his wife Joan, who is also a board member of the Hoffman Institute Foundation, very generously underwrote the cost of the Leadership Path at Harvard as an investment aimed at improving the world by helping KSG students become better leaders. Steve is founder and chairman of Trans National Group, (TNG), a privately held company headquartered in Boston; he is also the principal owner of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, the NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers, and the Philips Arena. In addition he is a trustee of Cornell University. After completing the Hoffman Process in 1991, Mr. Belkin experienced a high degree of transformation resulting in greater personal and business success. He and Bob Hoffman became friends, and ever since he has been an avid supporter of the Process and the Institute. “Being a graduate of the Harvard Business School, I understand the great intellect that resides there, but intellect needs to be integrated with one’s heart and with one’s soul in order to create an effective leader,” said Steve. “Those who lead from their head and ego are not effective leaders. You either lead from your intellect and ego or from your heart and soul. Those who lead from their heart and soul lead with wisdom – that’s why Joan and I are happy to have sponsored the Hoffman program.” Through Joan and Steve, full scholarships were made available for the entire class of participants. Some 60 applications were received, of which 40 applicants were selected, and 39 were available to participate. The Hoffman teaching team consisted of U.S. teachers Anne Simon-Wolf, Kani Comstock, Raz Ingrasci, Ed Mc- Clune, Linda Hartka-Reiss, and Italian teacher Lisa Wenger, who is fluent in English and several other languages. According to Hoffman President Raz Ingrasci, “The Hoffman Process helps participants reduce emotional reactivity while increasing emotional and spiritual intelligence –leading to greater performance in all areas of life. Every person’s leadership challenge is uniquely their own, and the capacity to consistently produce extraordinary results in one’s chosen field requires that one’s intelligence and skill be joined to self-awareness and deep authenticity. This is what enables the best leaders to consistently make and implement the right decisions in the absence of complete information. The Leadership Path provides participants with access to that place within themselves where that astonishing ability resides, with the guarantee of personal transformation and professional growth.” “Every person’s leadership challenge is uniquely their own, and the capacity to consistently produce extraordinary results in one’s chosen field requires that one’s intelligence and skill be joined to selfawareness and deep authenticity.” — Raz Ingrasci Participants reported that the Leadership Path greatly augmented their academic experience at Harvard, and that this experience will significantly improve their leadership contribution and their personal lives. Comments included:
The Center for Public Leadership has invited the Hoffman Institute to present the Leadership Path again in 2007. Steve and Joan Belkin have again offered to fund the majority of costs with a $100,000 gift and a $50,000 matching funds gift. Details on the continuation of this ground-breaking program and research on leadership will be reported in future issues. For additional information, please go to the CPL website at http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/leadership/.
1 Pittinsky, T.L., Rosenthal, S.A., Welle, B.A., and Montoya, R.M. (2005). National Leadership Index 2005: A National Study of Confidence in Leadership. Center for Public Leadership, John F. Kennedy School Government, Harvard University. 2 CPL Leadership Development Taskforce. (2006). Understanding Leadership Development. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Center for Public Leadership, John F. Kennedy School Government, Harvard University. n Hoffman teaching staff for Harvard Process, L–R: Raz Ingrasci, Kani Comstock, Linda Hartka-Reiss, Ed McClune, Lisa Wenger, and Anne Simon-Wolf. “Every person’s leadership challenge is uniquely their own, and the capacity to consistently produce extraordinary results in one’s chosen field requires that one’s intelligence and skill be joined to selfawareness and deep authenticity.” — Raz Ingrasci |
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phone: 800/506-5253 or 415/485-5220 · email: enrollment@hoffmaninstitute.org |
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