Meaningful Leadership for a Better World

About

Do you have a passion for making a positive impact in the world? Are you worried about the current state of the world and its runaway societal and ecological crises? Are you seeking to develop your personal leadership for a better world? Would you like to discover what you truly stand for and how to contribute in a meaningful and morally ambitious way? Do you wish to deepen your vision while growing your capacity to shape positive change? Are you wondering how to transform difficult emotions like despair or overwhelm about our world's challenges into creative and inspired engagement?

Who Is This For?
This course is designed for students and professionals who want to develop their capacity for meaningful leadership in service of a better world. It is for those who seek to know deeply what they stand for and how to make a difference in their communities and organizations. We will work outside in and inside out, exploring essential questions such as: What world problems touch you to the core? What is your mission? What are your core values? What kind of leader do you wish to become? What are your character strengths and areas for growth?

Four Core Aims
Over the course of the week, we focus on:

Vision Development: Sharpen your vision of the good and discover where you can make a meaningful contribution to the world.
Bridging Differences: Explore how to work with different perspectives, values, and interests in the world around you, learning to build bridges where there is resistance to change.
Personal Barriers: Work with your own doubts, fears, and limiting beliefs, transforming them into sources of understanding and growth.
Next Steps: Develop, formulate, and commit to clear intentions for your path forward, moving from mere awareness to action and purposeful engagement.
Course Content
We explore diverse subjects such as moral ambition, compassionate communication, the psychology and philosophy of purpose and meaning, positive psychology of character strengths, parts work (Internal Family Systems/Hakomi), Joanna Macy’s ‘the work that reconnects’ and her concept of active hope, Roman Krznaric’s concept of the good ancestor, relational mindfulness, loving presence, embodiment practices and widening the circle of moral concern.

Learning Method
Our programme combines:

Interactive workshops and group discussions
Reflective exercises and visualizations
Personal leadership projects
Meditation and embodiment practices
What You Will Learn
Through deep introspection and leadership development, you will:

Clarify your unique path as a leader for positive change
Deepen understanding of your inner strengths and growth areas
Discover your authentic leadership voice and presence
Connect with your core values and driving purpose
Learn to inspire and engage others from a place of authenticity
Practical Information
Dates: 7 - 11 July 2025
Location: Utrecht, the Netherlands
Certificate: Attendance certificate upon completion
Program: Rich cultural and social activities included
Led by experienced trainers, our programme offers a unique opportunity to gain inspiration, deepen your self-understanding, develop your skills, and collaborate with like-minded peers from different countries and cultures.

Join us for this transformative week of personal growth and meaningful engagement. Apply now to be part of the Meaningful Leadership for a Better World course at Utrecht Summer School.

Day-to-Day Programme

Monday: Meaning & Purpose
What matters most: connecting world problems to your mission
Philosophy of meaningful leadership
From overwhelm to focused clarity
Your unique path of contribution
Tuesday: Working with Differences
Understanding different worldviews
Authentic communication for leadership
Working with resistance
Building bridges across perspectives
Wednesday: Deep Inner Work
Discovering limiting beliefs
Understanding their impact on your leadership
Transformative experiential work
Integration of new insights
Thursday: Compassionate Engagement
Meeting world problems with compassion
Leading from grounded presence
From overwhelm to inspired action
Sustainable engagement practices
Thursday evening (16.00 - 21.00 hrs): Team activity

Friday: Moving Forward
From insights to leadership initiative
Creating realistic next steps
Practices for the long haul
Building supportive connections

Course leader

Imre Végh

Target group

This course is meant for advanced bachelor and master students and professionals.

Fee info