Leading in Uncertain Times (APA2171.04)

Alexis Frasz with Robert Ransick

We are living at a time of great flux, where many of the political, economic and social systems and structures that prior generations took for granted are breaking down. It is now clear that many of these systems are not serving a majority of people or the planet, and we are at a moment where the survival of human beings and the natural ecosystem is at risk. This unraveling is alarming, but it is also an unprecedented moment of opportunity for creative re-imagining and re-invention. We do not know what the society of the future will look like, but it will be radically different than it is today.

Re-designing our societal systems and structures to be more aligned with human thriving and planetary boundaries will require different approaches and mindsets than those that got us where we are today. This class will explore what leadership looks like when the path is uncharted and the approaches of the past are part of what must be dismantled. Younger generations are increasingly feeling called to take on roles as leaders and changemakers, often with little experience or example to draw on. Drawing from modern systems theories (Margaret Wheatley, David Bollier, Adam Kahane, Naomi Klein, Peter Senge, Charles Eisenstein, Gar Alperovitz and others from the Next System Project), ancient wisdom traditions (Daoism, indigenous worldviews, David Whyte’s reading of mytho-poetic traditions, Joanna Macy, permaculture and others), and student’s lived experiences, this class is intended to help students identify inner and outer resources they can call on to support them in making their contribution to the “just transition,” whatever their interests or sphere of influence may be. Students will leave this course with an experiential sense of their purpose and role in this particular moment, and a confidence in their ability to navigate the unknown. This can be applied to their studies, personal lives or non-academic work.

**For registration, please contact Robert Ransick**

Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 1
Sat 10:00am – 12:30pm, 1:30pm – 5:00pm; Sun 10:30am – 12:30pm, 1:30pm – 4:30pm (May 11, 12)
Maximum Enrollment: 18
Course Frequency:
This course is categorized as 2000, Advancement of Public Action, Alexis Frasz, All courses, One Credit, Robert Ransick, Updates.