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 147^th 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. Ken 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.

Morning Session: Lecture and Discussion

• Why effective leaders must build and sustain a sense of meaning, hope, and trust in their teams.
• How leaders do this by infusing 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

Location: UT Austin
Upcoming Course(s): October 5, 2023
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Continuing Education Units (CEUs): 0.6 CEUs will be awarded upon completion of this program (six hours of instruction)
Registration Deadline: October 2, 2023

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.

The majority of participants in our Seminars and Certificate Programs are mid- and upper-level professionals working in the business, nonprofit, government, or military sectors; however, professionals at all levels of experience are welcome to participate. There are no prerequisites for enrolling in an HDO Professional Seminar.

While all HDO Seminars are developed with wide-ranging applicability in mind, the following individuals and groups will likely find The Heart of Leadership: Moving Forward Through Change most directly relevant to their work:

• Senior/Executive Leadership
• Middle Management
• Consultants
• Team Leaders & Supervisors
• Program Managers
• Project Managers