The Heart of Leadership: Moving Forward Through Change
This certificate program consists of three required courses (listed below) and one elective course option.
This certificate is comprised of four single-day courses.
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This seminar draws on the disciplines of psychology and ethics to examine the various behaviors and strategies that enable leaders to build resilient teams and organizations. You will leave class with the confidence to lead others through change successfully.
The Heart of Leadership Seminar: Moving Forward Through Change focuses on the leader-constituent relationship in teams undergoing the stress of major changes. The seminar explores how effective leaders help constituents find purpose, optimism, and integrity in service of their needs for meaning, hope, and trust. Such interpersonal dynamics are especially important for teams facing fundamental changes such as restructuring, merger/acquisition, mission realignment, etc.
Grounded in the experience of the course leaders in consulting, management, and organizational resiliency, the result is a seminar that is both intellectually stimulating and practically applicable.
This seminar is delivered in two parts, with the morning dedicated to lecture and discussion, while the afternoon session allows participants to engage in practical exercises based on real-world scenarios.
Morning Session: Lecture and Discussion: 1) Why effective leaders must build and sustain a sense of meaning, hope, and trust in their teams and 2) How leaders infuse their teams with thoughtful optimism, integrity, and a shared purpose.
Afternoon Session: Practical Exercises and Discussion
Participants will form teams dealing with detailed scenarios they choose from a list. Examples include:
- A merger with another team
- Modification of the team’s mission
- Regrouping after a reduction in force
- Branching off to form a risky start-up
Details & Registration
Time: 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs): 0.6 CEUs will be awarded upon completion of this program (six hours of instruction)
One-Day Seminar Pricing:
Registration fee includes all course materials, catering (lunch and refreshments), WiFi access, and parking.
- Standard Registration: $1,000
- UT System Staff/Alumni Registration: $750
- Educator, Nonprofit, Government, Military Registration: $750
Get employer support! We’ve gathered resources to help you make the case for your employer to support your HDO education.
If you have questions prior to registering, please see our Professional Training FAQ or contact Andrew M. Vasquez, HDO’s Enrollment & Success Coordinator at hdo-pro@austin.utexas.edu.
Course Leader(s)
AJ Josefowitz is an organization development consultant who coaches leaders and develops teams. He helps leaders leverage tensions between organization goals and individual needs by helping them build healthy work environments for trust, collaboration, and accountability. He helps his clients identify barriers and reach understandings and commitments to drive positive change. A New Yorker at heart, AJ has been a resident of Austin, TX since 1995 and now calls it home. He has a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Minnesota.
Ken Wisian, Ph.D., Major General USAF (retired), Bureau of Economic Geology, Jackson School of Geoscience, The University of Texas at Austin is a geophysicist whose main research is in geothermal energy. He also holds appointments in the Center for Space Research and the Aerospace & Engineering Mechanics Department at UT Austin, and is a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society. Previously, Dr. Wisian was a senior state executive responsible for disaster recovery, oil spill prevention and response, and coastal infrastructure and environmental protection for Texas. Militarily, General Wisian, a navigator/bombardier, flew bombers, transports and fighters, is a graduate of the USAF Test Pilot School and commanded the 147th Reconnaissance Wing flying the MQ-1 Predator (drone). General Wisian participated in or lead military disaster response efforts for the Shuttle Columbia crash and multiple hurricanes. Wisian is a graduate of the US Air Force Test Pilot School and has more than 70 hours of medium and high-risk test flights. General Wisian has combat time in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Balkans, and his medals include the Bronze Star and Air Medal.
Who Should Participate
- Senior/Executive Leadership
- Middle Management
- Consultants
- Team Leaders & Supervisors
- Program Managers
- Project Managers
The role-playing aspect of the seminar was very helpful because the instructors provided feedback after its completion. During this time, I was able to glean a lot of insight into how to approach these different role-playing activities in real life. It was also great to see others’ approaches to these scenarios. Well-planned and thoughtful.
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From Certificate Seeker to Competitive Advantage in Just Four Days
Built on strong academic fundamentals and real-world relevance, HDO Certificate Programs are designed to enhance the portfolios of mid- and upper-level professionals.
Over the course of your program, you will gain immediately-applicable tools and skills to accelerate your career, whether your goal is advancing in your current organization, deepening your capacities to excel in your existing role, or developing additional skills for a transition to a new position. In the process, you will learn alongside and network with experienced professionals from a wide range of industries.
Courses Led by Top Faculty
“My favorite part of the Certificate Program was, hands down, the cross-disciplinary faculty. What remarkable minds! I gained multiple new lenses through which to view workplace challenges. I felt so lucky to have exposure and access to these extraordinary educators. The HDO faculty is world class. I can’t stop raving.”
Sarah Gerichten, Director of Marketing, Square Root, Inc.
Transform Your Organization with Group Training
By applying cutting-edge research and expertise from UT Austin’s top faculty to your organization’s unique challenges, our training programs are designed to:
- Build a dynamic organizational culture that fosters innovative thinking and embraces change.
- Strengthen team cohesion around existing or aspirational goals.
- Enhance leadership skills at all levels, from first-time managers to senior leaders and executives.
